Holidays
by LovesLight
Summary: Follow Ben and Mal through their first year together as they celebrate each holiday! Cute Bal moments.
1. Intro

**Holidays Intro**

So this was an idea I had and wanted to go ahead and jump on it. This story will be a compilation of stories that revolve around each holiday Ben and Mal share during their first year together. A few notes I want to put out there is that these will be holidays we celebrate in the U.S. I'm American and the bulk of my readers so far have been American also. I was tempted to go with French holidays, considering that is Ben's parents background, but then decided against it because I don't know all the traditions of certain holidays and didn't want to disrespect their traditions. Much easier to write what I know. I am also going to leave this story open to maybe do following years. So maybe do their second and third year celebrating the holidays together. With the movies being so spread out there is a five year span. I like being canon with the movies as much as I can, so in my head it has only been three years. Also with Mal's birthday supposedly being on December 31, 1999 and the fact that she was already 16 when she had her first date with Ben I figured they came to Auradon in 2016. Ben is also 16 but I can't find anything that that gives his birthday so I am just going to make it up. Below is my basic timeline.

Ben's Birthday May 20th, 2000 (This makes him a Taurus which is compatible with Mal's sign, Capricorn)

**Descendants**

June 2016 Ben makes proclamation to bring over the VKs.

August 28, 2016 VKs arrive

August 29, 2016 first day of school

September 15, 2016 Mal spells Ben

September 16, 2016 Ben and Mal's first date (This will also serve as their anniversary date)

September 25, 2016 Family Day

September 30, 2016 Ben's coronation

**Descendants 2**

I have no real timeline for this movie. I know Mal mentioned it had been six months but I wanted a bigger spread than that so it's more like a year in my head from the beginning of D1 to the beginning of D2. Putting them into their second year at Auradon Prep. I feel like cotillion would fall at the end of September 2017. (Update I made cotillion on their one year anniversary)

**Descendants 3**

Updated! (I worked the math after I finished the last chapter)

So even though we didn't get this movie until the summer of 2019, with the ages of our characters in the first movie and there actually being a birthday assigned to Mal, I feel like this movie actually takes place at the end of summer 2018. Making both Ben and Mal 18. I originally thought I would go with the 2019 thing but that didn't fit because it would have meant Uma was on the run for 2 years and that it took 2 years for them to bring over new VKs.

I was doing the math in my head and found that the 2017-2018 school year would make more sense as their last year at Auradon Prep. With the VK's no longer in the dorms in D3 but Audrey was still there because of summer school. (I attribute her being in summer school because of her absence in D2 saying she was away with Flora, Fauna and Merryweather.


	2. Halloween

**Hello all! This is the first chapter of my new story and I'm so happy I was able to finish it before Halloween. I was thinking about posting each holiday as they happen in real life but I don't think I want to sit on it that long. This story is going to have plenty of Bal fluff. Happy reading!**

* * *

**First Halloween**

_Ben's POV_

Halloween was fast approaching and it was making me a little nervous. I wasn't sure how the VKs were going to react. I wasn't even sure if they celebrated holidays on the Isle. I knew it was probably something I should talk to Mal and the others about. We always had a Halloween Party at the castle every year. It was not an official event so it was not planned with the council, though members of the council were invited. It was mostly kids my age.

I was leaving his last class of the day when I saw Mal walking with Evie across the courtyard. "Mal" I called out to her and she turned toward me and smiled. My heart skipped a beat like it always did when she smiled at Me like that. She still hadn't told me she loved me, but I understood. She need time to learn how to love and accept love. We have only been together for a couple weeks after all.

"Hey" she said as I walked up to them.

"Hey" I said back smiling like an idiot I'm sure. "Hey, do you guys celebrate holidays on the Isle?" I asked her. She nodded her head and I smiled again.

"We do but I'm sure it's not quite the same" she explained.

"So what do you do for Halloween?" I asked. It was October third, so there was still a few weeks until the Halloween party . She laughed sarcastically. I wasn't sure what to make of that.

"Well, kids on the Isle don't trick-or-treat. Not a lot of candy over there. It's mostly a night were people go around tormenting and scaring each other. Lots of scheming happens on Halloween" she said. I understood her laugh now. "Nothing like it is here, I'm sure."

"Not quite" I responded. "We have an annual Halloween party at the castle. We all dress up in costumes. It's lots of fun. It usually takes place the Saturday before Halloween. So this year it will be on the 29th" I told her.

"Costumes? What sort of costumes?" she asked. I laughed this time.

"You can dress up as anything really. Last year I was a Beast. My dad dressed up as a hot dog" I said laughing again and both Mal and Evie laughed also." I should probably warn you that sometimes people dress up like villains, even your parents." This didn't seem to surprise them. I watched Mal shrug.

"Well what is scarier to the people here than our parents" she said with a small smile trying to make light of the fact. "What are you going as this year?" she asked me. I wasn't quite sure yet. I wanted to talk to her about it before I decided. Last year Audrey dressed up as my mom to match my beast costume insisting we had to do couples costumes.

"I haven't quite decided. I wanted to talk to you about it. Lots of couples coordinate their costumes. I wasn't sure if that was something you would want to do" I told her watching her face to see what she thought of this. She thought about it for a while. Before Evie spoke.

"So you can go as anything or anyone?" she asked looking excited.

"Sure" I said chuckling at her enthusiasm.

"I have no clue what or who I would dress up as" Mal said. "So we don't have to do the couples thing. Besides I don't want one of us to force the other to be something we don't particularly want to." She was the complete opposite of Audrey and I loved it. She was so laid back. She looked at me and smiled. She looked like she was getting excited about this like Evie. "Now I have to go plan a costume. I'll talk to you later" she said raising up on her toes and kissing my cheek before she linked arms with Evie and headed in the direction of the dorms.

* * *

_Mal's POV_

It was about a week before Halloween when Fairy Godmother told us that this year, trick-or-treaters would be visiting Auradon Prep on Halloween. They would trick-or-treat through the halls knocking only on doors that were decorated. Evie and I spent the whole evening that night coming up with an idea to decorate our door. We didn't want it to be too scary, these were little kids after all. In the end we painted the words 'Happy Halloween' and added a few happy ghosts and jack-o-lanterns. All in all it was cute. I was excited!

It was now the day of the Halloween party. Ben refused to tell me what he was dressing up as, so when he asked me what I was coming as I told him if he told me what he was going to be I would tell him. It was still a no go. I wasn't sure what I was looking forward to most, seeing Ben or the party itself.

It was after six and we were running a little late. Me, Evie, Jay and Carlos all decided to come together. We walked in, my eyes scanning for Ben. Evie was dressed as Sivermist the water fairy. Jay was dress as an Indian Chief and Carlos decided to dress up as Dude, his new pet dog. The party was being held in the ballroom and it was already in full swing. I noticed there were tables placed around the edge of the ballroom serving different refreshments. As we walked through the many party goers I thought I would never find Ben. Many people were wearing actual masks. We passed a scarecrow talking to the tin man, Spiderman, a ninja, Batman and the Hulk. I noticed a wolf with his arm around a sexy version of Little Red Ridinghood. That must have been one of those couples costumes Ben was talking about.

Then I saw him. His back was to me but I knew it was him instantly. All I could see of his costume was a black cape. It looked like he was getting a drink at the drink table. As I walked toward him he turned suddenly, spotting me. His eyes lit up instantly as he looked me up and down. He barely looked like he was wearing a costume. He wore black pants with a black shirt and a dark royal blue waist coat and a black cape. As I walked closer I noticed the make up making him much paler. As I stepped up to him he smiled, revealing sharp, pointy fangs that almost looked real. Now I knew he was dressed as a vampire.

"Those look like they could be real" I said smiling at him. He was just staring at me.

"You look beautiful!" he said to me. I smiled at him. I was a genie. Evie made my costume and did my hair which was up in a high side ponytail that she managed using some extensions and a gold headband that draped over my forehead. My costume was purple and gold. The top half was fitted and had a purple and gold brocaded look with a gold brocade strip down the middle with a gold zipper. There was a gold scalloped belt with jewels that separated the top from skirt. The handkerchief skirt fell in waves just past my knees and I wore a pair of plum capri leggings underneath. I wore a large gold necklace with an emerald gem in the center. There were gold bracelets wrapped around my right forearm and a lovely bracelet that attached to a ring on the same hand. I wore some loose gold bangles on the other wrist.

"Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself" I said teasing him. He reached down and grabbed my hand bringing it to his lips. I felt very drawn to kiss him but I just wasn't to the point where I felt comfortable kissing him in front of a lot of people like this. I talked to him about this after his coronation when we shared our first kiss after he walked me back to my dorm that night.

"Dance with me?" he asked. I nodded smiling at him and he led me out to the middle of the dance floor. He led me in a tango style dance to the Pentatonix version of 'Aha'. He made me feel so light on my feet. I couldn't stop smiling through out the whole dance. I hadn't noticed that everyone was clearing the dance floor to watch us dance. At the end of the song I suddenly heard everyone begin to clap. I looked around and saw we were in the middle of the dance floor. I looked back at Ben and smiled again. He gave the crowd a small bow and I dipped into a curtsy before we made our way out of the spotlight.

"That was fun" he chuckled holding my hand.

"It was but now I'm so hot" I said fanning myself. Ben pulled me through a curtain out on to the deserted terrace. The evening air was cold and felt wonderful against my heated skin. I sighed.

"Feel better?" he asked smiling at me. I nodded. The Annie Lennox version of 'I Put a Spell on You' began playing inside. Ben grabbed my waist with his left hand pulling me flush against him, his other hand gripped my left hand holding it to his chest. We began to slowly dance on the terrace. This was nice, just having a moment alone with him. I looked in his eyes as he looked at me adoringly. I then lifted up on my toes slightly to push my lips to his. It was a slow sweet kiss. When we broke apart I pulled him closer resting my head on his shoulder. I couldn't help but press a kiss to his neck just under his jaw.

"I think that is my job" he said in a husky voice. Suddenly he dipped me back slightly. "I am the vampire after all" he said as I stared into his eyes. He then lowered his mouth to the side of my neck as if to bite me the way a vampire would. He place a kiss there, his lips warm and soft on me. The spot was sensitive and sent a shiver down my spine. He let his lips drift up to mine as he pulled me upright, kissing me lovingly. Things like this were new to me but I found I enjoyed this feeling he gave me.

We returned to the party and had a wonderful time. I watched Ben bob for apples and we watched as they handed out awards for scariest, funniest, and most creative costumes which Carlos just happened to win. We saw Jane who was dressed like Little Bo Peep and Lonnie who was Pocahantas. We had an awkward run in with Audrey and Chad. They were dressed as Barbie and Ken. Another couples costume. This made me even happier that Ben and I didn't go with a couples costume. Audrey tried to imply only real couples coordinated their costume so Ben and I must not be that into each other. I ignored her. She hardly ever had anything nice to say.

All too soon it was the end of the night and Evie was begging to go because her feet were killing her. Ben walked the four of us out. Since it was just us I caved and gave him a quick goodnight kiss. "Are you going to be handing out candy at you dorm on Monday" I asked Ben.

"No, I didn't have time to decorate my door" he said sadly.

"You can come help hand out candy at our dorm if you want" I smiled up at him hoping he would.

"Ok, but I'll bring the candy" he said.

"Deal" I said. We turned to leave, Ben holding my hand until space separated us. I turned and gave him one last wave before we headed back to our dorms.

* * *

It was Halloween day and I couldn't wait to see all the kids in their costumes tonight. The kids were due to start coming between five thirty and six. Evie and I had carved a couple pumpkins and put them outside our door with little battery operated tea lights flickering inside. Ben got to our dorm a quarter after five with bags full of full size candy bars.

"Wow! We are going to be the talk of hall with this loot" I told Ben as we put as many as we could fit into the basket by the door. It wasn't very long before we got our first trick-or-treaters. A firefighter, a cat and a ghost. Their eyes lit up at the size of the candy they were receiving. "Told you" I giggled closing the door. The kids came every five to ten minutes and it was lots of fun seeing all the costumes. It wasn't long before we got another knock. Evie answered the door this time.

"Guys you have to come see. These cuties have the best costumes!" Evie said to us. Ben and I walked to the door to see three kids. Two girls dressed up like Evie and I and a tiny boy who was obviously dressed up like Ben. They were smiling like they were meeting someone famous. The two little girls, who were probably about ten, eyes lit up when they saw Ben.

"Your Majesty" they both said, curtsying to him smiling brightly. "We had my little brother dress up as you" one of the girls said, stepping aside to show a cute little boy, no more than four, wearing a little blue suit and crown. The little boy bowed to Ben, causing the crown to fall off his head. Ben squatted down and picked up the crown.

"Your Majesty" Ben said to the little boy, placing the crown back on his head. His tiny face lit up in a huge smile. "I think you make a fine king" Ben continued. The little boy flung his tiny arms around Ben, hugging him. Ben patted his back returning the hug. I couldn't help but smile, Ben was so sweet. Ben stood and took the candy from Evie, placing candy in each of their bags. They all thanked him with smiles and moved off to the next door.

"That was so neat!" Evie gushed. "I never thought kids would want to dress up like us. I wonder if we will see any kids dressed up like Carlos and Jay." she mused. We didn't, however, we did see some kids dressed up like our parents. I think Ben thought that this would offend us, but I didn't feel offended at all. Halloween was the time to dress up as someone else apparently and it didn't even have to be a person or character. We saw one kid dressed up like the latest iphone and another dressed like a taco.

Thanks to Ben we ran out of kids before we ran out of candy. "I guess we can give this leftover candy to the boys" Evie said. I was lounging on my bed eating a piece of chocolate. Ben was using the bathroom.

"Ok" I said. Evie put the candy in a bag leaving a handful behind just in case we got some late kids.

"Well I'm going to go see how the boys enjoyed the night and give them this candy. I may make them say trick-or-treat for it" she giggled, heading for the door. She turned and gave me a wink before she left. I knew she was just trying to give me a little alone time with Ben. Ben came out of the bathroom as the door was closing behind Evie.

"Where is Evie going?" he asked me.

"Going to make the boys jump through hoops for our leftover candy" I laughed. Ben smiled. A gleam entering his eye knowing that we were alone. Ben and I had only exchanged a handful of sweet kisses and I knew I wasn't ready for much else at this point. Our relationship was still new. Heck all of this was new to me. I had talked to Evie a little bit about how I feel when Ben kisses me and she asked if we have just kissed or if we had made out. I wasn't even sure what she was talking about. She explained it to me. Though Evie herself hadn't gone all the way with a boy, she did her fair share of kissing on the Isle. After her and I got curious about kissing over a year ago, we kinda practiced on each other. She then practice on a few guys before we came here. Ben was the first boy I had ever kissed and from what Evie told me, making out sounded like something I would really like to do with him.

Ben came to sit on my bed. I sat up moving to sit closer to him but still sitting in the middle of the bed. He turned his body toward me, pulling is left knee up to face me better. My left hip and thigh was now pressed against his. We smiled at each other. We both leaned in at the same time. His right hand coming up to cup the side of my face as our lips met. This kiss started sweet and slow. I felt him lean in a bit more. He moved his left hand over my lap placing it on the bed next to my right hip. I wasn't sure how to touch him but I itched to. I placed both of my hands on his chest. I felt his lips part slightly, then his tongue swept softly across my bottom lip. I parted my lips and his tongue dipped into my mouth, stroking my own tongue. This was new and I liked it. I felt brave and began to mimic his actions. His hand moved from the bed to my waist pulling me toward him a bit more. I let one of my hands drift up to the back of his neck, while the other gripped his shirt on his side. He pulled back slowly breaking the kiss. His face still only and inch from mine, our foreheads touching.

"You taste like chocolate" he breathed, making me giggle. He began to trail his lips down my neck. Kissing and sucking lightly. Oh this felt so good. A moan escaped me and I felt him smile against me. I felt needy but I didn't know what I needed. I cupped his face pulling his lips back to mine. I don't think I will ever get enough of kissing him or him kissing me. How did he know how to kiss so well? That was a question for another time. Ben slowed the kiss down again. "I gotta go baby" he whispered against my lips. I pushed my lips back to his more firmly. Feeling even more bold, I gave his bottom lip a gentle nip then swept my tongue across it. I heard him groan and couldn't help but smile. I pecked his lips a couple times before pulling back from him.

"Ok" I said as we untangled our arms from each other. We both stood and I noticed his lips were rosy and a touch fuller from our kissing. I walked him to door. He opened the door and stepped out. I gripped the nob and leaned against the edge of the door. He turned to me cupping my chin, running his thumb across my bottom lip. My lips must be swollen also. He leaned in and gave me one last soft kiss.

"Happy Halloween" he said as he stepped away.

"Happy Halloween" I returned. I watched as he made his way down the hall, looking back at me and smiling before he turned the corner and was out of sight.

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**Hope you enjoyed. Thanksgiving is next.**

**Reviews are love!**


	3. Thanksgiving

**First Thanksgiving**

_Mal's POV_

It was the day before Thanksgiving. Ben invited me along with Evie, Jay and Carlos to have Thanksgiving with him and his family. I was feeling a little nervous about this. We knew what Thanksgiving was on the Isle but we didn't really celebrate it. On the Isle, good food was scarce to say the least and no one ever had a whole turkey. None of us ever felt particularly thankful for our lot in life either. That all changed, of course, when we came here. I now feel thankful everyday. I wasn't feeling really good, but I put that down to my nerves. Ben's parents were still warming up to me and I wasn't quite sure how they really felt about me. I hope they knew that I truly cared about their son.

We were invited to come tonight and stay over so that we could be included in some of their traditions, which involved getting up early to begin cooking. There was also the Auradon Thanksgiving Day Parade. I knew about the parade because every now and then it would be on T.V. on the Isle. Ben said he and his dad always find a way to get out of helping in the kitchen so that they could go watch the tourney match that was played every Thanksgiving.

"Hey where have you been?" I asked Evie as she walked into the dorm. "Ben is going to be picking us all up in thirty minutes"

"I was just with Doug. Did you know that the marching band will be playing in the Auradon Thanksgiving Day Parade tomorrow?" she said as she rushed to start packing her bag. I shook my head.

"That's cool" I said to her. She smiled over at me.

"I wonder if we will be able to see Doug on T.V." she said. Evie and Doug were getting close but neither was making an actual move. It was like they were together but not.

We finished getting our things together and met the boys in the front hall. Ben was already there, talking to the boys when we walked up. He looked over at me and smiled. I smiled back. I stopped beside him and suddenly felt dizzy. He reached over to steady me as I swayed on my feet. I closed my eyes for a moment. When I opened them again the dizziness had passed.

"Are you alright?" Ben asked. I looked at him and saw the concern in his eyes.

"Fine, just got dizzy all the sudden. I must need to drink more water" I told him smiling so he wouldn't worry. I didn't mention to him that I was nervous about spending time with his family. I can't shake the feeling that I'm not good enough for Ben and I felt like his parents felt this way too. "Are we all ready to go?" I asked everyone. They all nodded. Ben grabbed my hand and we walked out and climbed into the limo to head over to the castle. I felt my stomach roll in nervous anticipation, so I grabbed a bottle of water and began to drink it hoping it would settle me. Ben still had a concerned look in his eyes. "So can you tell us what to expect?" I asked him to keep him from worrying too much about me.

"A lot of food" he said with a chuckle. "I know it's called Thanksgiving dinner but we eat at about one in the afternoon. Nobody really eats breakfast or lunch on Thanksgiving because you tend to do a lot of tasting while you're cooking" he told us. "When I was little, before I was old enough to help in the kitchen, mom and Mrs. Potts use to give me cookies throughout the day." He said, smiling at the memory.

"That must be why you love cookies so much" I grinned at him. "Maybe I will ask them if we can make some tomorrow."

"That would be awesome" he said lifting my hand to his lips.

We arrived a minute later. Cogsworth met us in the entrance hall, where he then led us to our suite in the east wing. The suite had a common living space and two larger bedrooms that each had two full size beds. Each bedroom also had it's own bathroom. Cogsworth informed us that dinner would be served in a half an hour. Evie and I took one room while the boys took the other. I went to the bathroom to splash some water on my face. I honestly don't know what was wrong with me. I was feeling so off. I never really got sick on the Isle unless I had eaten something bad. When you are sick like that you go from fine to puking everything you had up. Evie knocked on the door to tell me it was time to go to dinner.

Ben met us in the entrance hall and walked us to the family dining room for dinner. The family dining room was smaller than the formal dining room and had a round dinner table. Belle and Adam were already seated at the table. Ben sat next to his mom and I sat next to him. "We usually have a lighter dinner the night before thanksgiving. So tonight it's just tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches" he said smiling at us. I smiled back at him. I didn't feel very hungry at all.

"I have to tell you all how excited we are to share this Thanksgiving with you" Belle said to us with a warm smile. "We hope you all can enjoy our traditions and maybe start some of your own." Belle had always been very accepting of us. She did seem a little apprehensive of me dating her son when I first met her. I just wasn't sure how they felt now. I gave her a nervous smile. "I know Ben has told you about some of our traditions. What are you guys most excited about?" she asked us.

"The food I think" Carlos said smiling at her.

"Ben said there is always an awesome tourney match on. I think watching the game will be fun" Jay said between bites. Adam smiled at him reaching over to give him a fist bump. He had also warmed up to us.

"What about you girls?" Belle asked looking over at Evie and I.

"I think I will enjoy helping with the cooking and I'm really looking forward to watching the parade" Evie said with a smile. Everyone's eyes turned to me.

"Umm" I began nervously. "Well I think I am just happy to get to spend time with everyone. Together, like a real family does." I looked at Ben giving him a small smile. He reached under the table and grabbed my hand giving it a gentle squeeze. Belle smiled at me with that same motherly smile she gives Ben. Things were starting to feel different. I was starting to feel different.

We finished dinner and Evie, Carlos, Jay, Ben and I were all going to watch a movie in our suite. As Ben and I were leaving Belle called out to us. We stopped and turned to her.

"Ben do you mind if I have a moment with Mal?" she asked stepping up to us.

"Not at all. Mal?" he said turning to me. I gave my head a nod.

"Of course" I said. Belle nodded her head to the side beckoning me to follow her. We went into what must be the library. I was nervous and it must have shown as I fidgeted with my hands.

"No need to be so nervous dear" she said to me. I just smiled. I had no idea what to say or do.

"I just noticed how nervous you seemed. Is everything ok?" she asked me. I just stared at her for a moment trying to figure out what to say to her exactly. I thought the truth would be best. If I was going to be in a relationship with Ben then I was going to have some sort of relationship with his parents also and I wanted it to be a good one.

"I am a little nervous" I told her, chewing on my bottom lip a bit. I had never been nervous like this before. I was always so confident on the Isle. She gave me a small smile.

"Lets sit" she said directing me to the small couch that was in the room. "So what has you so nervous?" she asked. I took a deep breath. Here goes nothing I thought.

"Well I just want you to like me" I said. "I'm just worried you might not like the idea of you son dating a villain kid" I said matter-of-factly. She reached over and took my hand in hers letting out a sigh.

"Mal, please don't think we don't approve of you. I will admit when we first found out about you and Ben we were a little apprehensive" she said. "After family day I did a lot of thinking and told Adam that we should give you the benefit of the doubt which wasn't afforded to you that day. Everyone was so quick to judge, but you proved your worth at Ben's coronation." She smiled brightly at me giving my hand a squeeze. "I think you all changed a number peoples opinions of you that day." I felt tears gather in my eyes.

"We want you to feel like you are a part of our family. Jay, Carlos, and Evie too" she told me. I felt the tears slip down my cheeks. "Oh sweetheart, don't cry" she cooed pulling me into a hug. I didn't realize how much this all meant to me until this moment. I felt relief wash over me. I pulled back from Belle.

"Thank you so much. That means more to me than I could ever tell you" I said to her, giving her a teary smile.

"I want you to know that if you ever need anything or just need to talk, I'm always here for you" she told me. I smiled again nodding. Is this what having a loving mother felt like? Someone who cared. Someone you could turn to for anything. I liked it.

I said goodnight to Belle and walked up to our rooms feeling better than I had in days. My nerves really did a number on me. I was feeling all these new feelings and had to figure out how to work through my emotions.

* * *

Evie and I got up early and headed down stairs. Belle was waiting for us with aprons. She led us to the kitchen. Mrs. Potts was already working on grabbing all the ingredients we would need to make all the dishes. There was an uncooked turkey sitting on the large counter in the middle of the large kitchen. Like at the school there were large industrial appliances. Belle walked over to us to show us the menu. Along with the turkey we would be making stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, corn, cranberry sauce and homemade dinner rolls. There was also a list of pies for desert.

"Can I make cookies?" I asked looking up at Belle and Mrs. Potts. Belle smiled at me.

"Ben will love that" she said.

"He told me the two of you use to give him cookies throughout the day when he was too little to help. Where are the boys anyhow?" I asked

"Oh I told them not to bother trying to help today. Too many cooks in the kitchen if you know what I mean. Besides Adam and Ben always find a way to wiggle out of helping to go watch the game" Belle said in exasperation. Evie and I giggled at this. "Well ladies let's get started. Mal why don't you go ahead and get started on those cookies. Mrs. Potts can do the turkey and Evie and I can start making the pies so they can go in the oven later."

My cookies were finished and cooling. Mrs Potts was working on sweet potatoes while Evie Belle and I worked on peeling the regular potatoes to make mashed potatoes. Belle turned on the T.V. that was in the kitchen so we could watch the parade. Evie began gushing when the Auradon Prep Marching Knights were announced to be coming up. I excused myself to take cookies to the guys.

I walked into the theater room and saw Jay, Carlos, Ben and Adam all yelling at the television. I didn't quite have tourney figured out but they were yelling about bad calls or something.

"Ahem" I cleared my throat to get their attention. They all looked over to the doorway where I was standing. "Would any of you like a cookie?" I asked walking into the room. I set the plate of cookies down on the side table and they came over to help themselves. They sat back down thanking me for the cookies. "You guys enjoy your game. Everything should be ready in and hour or two" I told them as I turned to walk out. As I stepped out into the hallway I heard Ben call me.

"Hey Mal, wait up" he said stepping out into the hall. I stopped and he stepped up to me. I smiled at him. "How are you?" he asked. I was a little confused.

"I'm fine. Why?" I inquired.

"Well you just seemed off yesterday and I wanted to make sure you were ok" he said lowering his voice a bit. I smiled at him again.

"I am feeling much better. I think my nerves just got to me yesterday but talking to your mom helped" I said taking a step toward him closing the space between us. He smiled at me. He lifted his left hand to my waist pulling me against him.

"I'm glad" he said before pressing his lips to mine. It felt like it had been an eternity since I last kissed him. A real kiss that is, not the peck we shared to say goodnight in front of our friends last night. My hands fisted the side of his shirt, clinging to him. I felt his right hand cup my face as he deepened our kiss. His tongue asking for entrance which I happily gave. I let out a low moan as I felt him suck lightly on my bottom lip.

"Ben" we heard someone call out and we sprung apart. We looked around to see who called but didn't see anyone.

"Ben get in here! We just scored" we heard Jay call from the theater room. We laughed at our reaction.

"Sorry" Ben said looking at me.

"For what?" I asked.

"I know you don't like being too affectionate when people are around" he explained. I stepped back up to him placing my hands on his chest. He tentatively put his hands on my waist.

"I'm going to have to work on that. With how often I want to kiss you, I'm gonna have to get over my aversion to PDA" I lifted up on my toes a bit and pressed my lips to his once more.

"Ben" we heard him call again. We broke our kiss and Ben sighed.

"I better get back in there or else we _will_ have an audience" he chuckled.

"Yeah I better get back to the kitchen too" I said.

* * *

_Ben's POV_

We were going to be eating in the formal dining room. The table in the formal dining room was much larger. Mrs. Potts, Chip, Lumiere, and Cogsworth were all considered family and we always had Thanksgiving together. We all sat down with Dad at the head of the table. Mom sat on one side of him and I the other. Mal sat next to me and Evie sat next to mom. Dad stood getting everyone's attention before we ate.

"This year we are pleased to have new guests to share our Thanksgiving with" he said smiling at everyone. "Every year before we eat, we go around the table and each take a turn telling everyone what we are thankful for that year. So I will start. This year I am thankful and proud to have passed the crown down to my son. He is proving he will be a great king." he said smiling at me. He sat down and looked over at mom.

"I am thankful for my family new and old" she smiled at Mal. They must have started to form a bond after talking last night I thought.

"I am thankful the four of us were given the opportunity to come the Auradon and all the new friends we have made" Evie said.

"I'm thankful for that too and tourney" Jay said.

"I'm thankful I got into the school I wanted" Chip said. He was in his first year of college but came home for Thanksgiving.

"I am thankful I raised such a bright boy" Mrs. Potts said patting Chip's cheek.

"I am thankful for another smooth year here at the castle" Cogsworth said. Cogsworth was the head butler and liked everything in order and running smoothly.

"Same, and your friendship old boy" Lumiere said raising his glass to Cogsworth.

"I'm thankful for Dude and my friends" Carlos said. It was Mal's turn. I looked over at her and she looked at me and smiled.

"Well I think I am most grateful for Ben. Without him we wouldn't be here. Without him I wouldn't have learned..." she stopped for a minute trying to find the right words. "That I could choose how to live" she said. For a moment I thought she was going to say she wouldn't have learned how to love. She has never said anything about love since our first date. I am crazy in love with her but I haven't told her since our first date either. I didn't want it to be awkward for her. She has never told me she loves me but I feel like she might. I hoped she could feel how much I loved her.

"This year I am thankful for my four new friends" I said looking down at Mal. "Especially Mal, who has taught me how to love better" I said, hoping she understood what I meant.

"Cheers!" dad said lifting his glass. We all lifted our glasses as well in cheers before we dug in. The food was awesome as usual. It was a lot of fun to watch them eat a Thanksgiving dinner for the first time. Jay and Carlos plates could hardly hold all the food they wanted to eat.

"Save some room for pie guys" Mal teased. Their eyes lit up at the mention of pie. Mom asked everyone if they wanted to stay another night, asking Mal and Evie to go Black Friday shopping with her.

"Whats Black Friday shopping?" Evie asked. Mal looked adorably confuse.

"It's a traditional day where you begin Christmas shopping but it's more about the sales that are held on that day only. It can be cut throat trying to get what you want for an amazing sale price on Black Friday" Belle explained. "We can get online and check out all the sales then make a plan." I think my mom was excited to actually get to go shopping with other girls.

"Sounds like fun" Evie said with a smile.

"I can't wait to get our Christmas tree!" I said. "Why don't you guys stay the whole weekend and you can help decorate for Christmas" I suggested.

"We've never had a real Christmas" Mal said.

"Well now you will" I said smiling at her and reaching for her hand under the table.

After eating we all went to the theater room to watch a Christmas movie. "Why a Christmas movie?" Jay asked.

"Dunno. We just always watch 'Miracle on 34th Street' every Thanksgiving" I said with a chuckle and a shrug.

I sat in the middle of the large sectional sofa and Mal sat beside me. Jay, Carlos, and Evie also sat on the sectional while my parents sat in and oversized chair together. Mal pulled her feet up and snuggled into my side as I draped my arm around her. It wasn't long into the movie before the tryptophan from the turkey kicked in and Mal was fast asleep. I was beginning to feel sleepy myself. I was thinking of what an awesome Thanksgiving this had been as I felt myself drifting off.

* * *

**Bonus Day: Black Friday**

_Mal's POV_

Evie and I got up early once again, to go shopping with Belle. She wasn't kidding when she said it was cut throat. Black Friday shopping was complete chaos! I just really wanted to find the perfect gift for Ben. I didn't care if it was on sale or not so I didn't stress too much about getting it right away. If I saw anything that I wanted to get him then I would. Belle managed to get the gift she wanted to get for Adam and Ben. I managed to get gifts for both Jay and Carlos.

We had a wonderful lunch at Chinese restaurant. It was so nice just hanging out with Belle. Evie was enjoying it to. Spending time with Belle like this made us feel like this is how things should have been with our own mothers. Just doing things together without the pressure of being enough. Laughing, shopping and talking. I told Ben I didn't know what love feels like and for the most part that was true. I'm sure my mother loved me in her own way but I never _felt_ loved by her. Not like I do with Belle now.

We finished up our shopping and the three of us went to get manis and pedis. We then stopped back by the dorms so Evie and I could grab more clothes for the weekend.

"How was shopping?" Ben asked as we walked into our suite. He was playing video games with Jay and Carlos.

"Fun. We really enjoyed spending time with your mom" I told him taking my bags to our room before the boys could see what I got. Ben dropped his controller and follow us, stopping in the doorway to our room.

"Now I have someone to shop with when Mal doesn't want to" Evie said giving me a look. I stuck my tongue out at her and heard Ben chuckle at our teasing.

"So did you get me something?" he asked trying to peek at what we had.

"Nope. I want to get you something special. Besides what do you even get a king for Christmas?" I said with a little laugh.

"Your time is the best gift I could get" he said sweetly. I turned and smiled at him. Then an idea for the perfect gift hit me.

"Thank you. You just gave me and idea for your gift" I said clapping my hands in excitement. I heard Evie giggle. "What?" I asked as I turned to look at her.

"Nothing. You have just been in such a good mood today. It's nice to see you so happy more often than not these days" she said smiling at me. I smiled back at her. I think we all were happier than we have ever been. It felt nice.

"Go for a walk with me?" Ben asked reaching for my hand. I took his hand and let him lead me out. We put on our jackets and went out a back door that led to the gardens. As we walked I noticed that there were roses in bloom even though it was cold out.

"I can't believe that the roses are able to survive the cold" I said.

"My mother chose roses that would bloom year round" Ben explained.

"It is so beautiful out here" I said looking at all the beautiful roses in an array of colors. It was a bright and sunny day but cold. The picture of a fall day.

"I'm glad you like spending time with my mom and all but I missed you today" Ben said giving my hand a squeeze.

"I missed you too" I said smiling up at him. A cold breeze caught us and I shivered. Ben stopped and pulled me to him.

"Let me warm you up" he flirted, tipping his face toward mine and pressing his lips to mine. He pushed me backwards a step and I felt my back press up against one of the cement columns that lined the garden path. I reached up pushing my fingers into his hair at his neck deepening our kiss. I was feeling a lot more confident with kissing him lately. He seemed to like it anyhow so I must be doing something right. Our tongues danced together for a moment before I felt the need to take a breath. I pulled away slowly. Pecking his lips softly a couple more times, my hands sliding down to rest on his chest.

"I'm so happy we get to spend the holidays together" he said with his forehead resting against mine as we caught our breath.

"Me too" I answered. "We better head back in before someone comes looking for us"

"Ok. I can't wait to go get our Christmas tree tomorrow!" he said. He was like a little boy filled with excitement. I giggled at him and we walked hand in hand back to the castle. This Christmas was going to awesome I thought.

* * *

**Christmas is next! Christmas is going to pick up where this chapter leaves off. Since Christmas traditions tend to start right after Thanksgiving and last the whole month, the Christmas chapter is going to be extremely long or I may split it into two chapters. Thanks for reading!**

**Reviews are love!**


	4. Christmas Pt1

**Author's note: Christmas has started! This took a while and I haven't even scratched the surface. This chapter picks up right where the last chapter leaves off. So much to do at Christmas! There will definitely be a part 2. What are some Christmas traditions you might like to read in this story? Let me know. Happy reading!**

* * *

**Part 1**

**First Christmas**

_Mal's POV_

It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving and the first day I was able to sleep in since then. Or so I thought. I was woke up by the sound of my phone chiming with an incoming message. Who was texting me first thing in the morning? I looked over to see if the noise had woken up Evie and saw her bed empty. I looked over at the clock and saw that it was nearly ten. I grabbed my phone and saw Ben was the one who had texted me.

_**Hey babe are you up yet?**_

Why was he texting me when we were in the same castle?

_**I am now...why are you texting me when you could just come and check?**_

A second later I heard a knock on the door.

"Come in" I called. I looked up and saw Ben coming in. I sat up in bed and smiled at him. "Good morning" I said to him. He was dressed for the day in a light blue long sleeve shirt and dark blue jeans.

"Good morning" he said, coming to sit beside me on the bed. I could feel the excited energy coming from him. I started to run my fingers through my hair knowing that I must look a mess. "Time to get up. We are going to go get a tree soon and then we have the Auradon City tree lighting tonight!" I laughed at his excitement.

"Ok give me thirty minutes and I will be ready" I said. Ben leaned in to kiss me but I quickly turned my head. His lips brushed my cheek instead. I looked at his confused expression. "Umm I need to brush my teeth" I explained to him, pursing my lips together.

"Ah" he said. "Ok, well I will let you get ready then." He stood and headed for the door.

"If you wait, I'll give you a good morning kiss when I'm ready" I said before he walked out.

"I'd wait forever for you" he said before stepping out into the living room of our suite and closing the door so I could get ready. I quickly got dressed and went into the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth and hair. I put on some light make-up the way Evie taught me to, before leaving the room. Ben stood up from the couch when I came out.

"Ready?" he asked as he walked up to me. I grabbed his shirt pulling him to me and pressing my lips to his. It was a sweet kiss that only lasted a moment before I pulled back and smiled at him.

"I am now" I said flirtatiously. "So..." I began as I let my hands rub up and down his chest. "Tell me how you get a Christmas tree." We never had any Christmas trees on the Isle. Once I got to see the Auradon tree lighting ceremony on a T.V.

"There is a part of the Enchanted Woods that grows Christmas trees. Every year we go out and cut down the tree we want" he told me. "We get a big tree that goes in the downstairs sitting room. Then we spend hours the next day decorating it." We headed out of the suite to go meet up with everyone else.

"I've never seen a Christmas tree in real life." I wasn't sure if he knew this or not. "We don't have any greenery on the Isle. My mom isn't the type to give gifts unless it would benefit her in some way so we didn't really exchange gifts. This will be my first real Christmas."

"Well this year I'm going to make sure you get to have all the Christmas experiences. Except maybe not sitting in Santa's lap" I looked at him and laughed. We had heard about Santa growing up but none of the children on the Isle believed in Santa for obvious reasons. "We are kinda too old for Santa and well I don't want you sitting on another man's lap. Even if it's a chubby old guy with a white beard."

"Do the children here believe in Santa?" I asked.

"Most do. It is just something we eventually out grow. Do the kids on the Isle believe?" he asked. He looked truly curious.

"I don't think so. Some may believe and just think that because we are villain kids that we are not good enough for Santa to leave them gifts" I said. "I think I quit believing that he existed at all when I realized he didn't even leave me coal. I heard that is what the bad children get."

"That is how the story goes. Gifts for the children on Santa's good list and coal in the stockings of children on the naughty list" Ben said. "I was about ten when I stopped believing. I snuck downstairs to see if I could see Santa and instead I saw my dad putting presents under the tree. I never said anything about it and I think my parents just thought I outgrew Santa."

We made it downstairs and saw everyone bundled up and waiting in the front hall. They all looked excited and I had to admit I was starting to feel pretty excited also. Belle handed me a pair of boots and I looked at her with confusion.

"Snow boots" she said. "It snowed last night so you will be needing them" she said smiling at me. I looked at everyone and noticed they were all dressed for the snow. Ben was pulling on his snow boots. Once we were all ready we stepped outside and everything was dusted in white. It was beautiful.

It was a slow ride to the Enchanted Wood. The roads had already been salted but it was best to drive cautiously. Belle said that this snowfall probably wouldn't stick for too long and that they didn't get the real snow until mid to late December. We pulled into a parking lot that Ben told me they block off each year for the people who are coming to get a tree. The trees were spread out. When Ben told me we were going to the Enchanted Woods to get a tree, I thought we were going to be walking through thick woods looking for a tree. This was much better than what was going through my head. Everyone spread out looking at all the trees. They were so big.

"Ben?" I called to him. "How are we suppose to get the tree back to the castle?"

"They have a truck out here that delivers the tree you choose if it's too big to fit on your car" he explained.

Ben and I walked together hand in hand looking at trees. Some were too fat, some were too thin and some had big gaps. Some were way too big, while others were too small. We made our way over to where Evie was standing staring up at a tree. Turns out she had found the perfect tree. It was about a ten foot tree that had a great shape. Ben and Adam used a huge saw to cut it down and the four guys all pulled the tree to the front where the workers were and got it all set up to be delivered to the castle.

We went back to the castle to have lunch. The tree had been delivered and was set up to dry so we could decorate it the next day. We gathered in the sitting room to sort through the decorations, while we had hot chocolate and listened to Christmas music before it was time to go to the Auradon City tree lighting ceremony. I couldn't believe that we were going to be able to see it in person.

We arrived at Auradon City Park where there was the biggest tree I had ever seen. Ben, as king, was going to be lighting the tree this year. He was so excited. There was a stage in front of the tree which was blocked off by metal barriers to keep the crowd back. We were shown to the area between the stage and the barriers. We got to watch all the performances which included Elsa singing 'White Christmas' and a children's choir singing the 'Christmas Song' and 'Jingle Bells'. When it was time Ben and his parents were able to walk up the steps right in front of us to the podium on stage.

"Welcome citizens of Auradon to the 2016 Auradon City Christmas tree lighting" Ben said and the crowd erupted in cheers. "It is with great honor to light this years tree to kick off this Christmas season. So without further ado please count down with me. Five, four..." Everyone began to count down with him. When we reached one, Ben pressed a big button and millions of lights lit the seventy-five foot Christmas tree. It was breathtaking. I knew I would remember this night forever.

* * *

The next day the snow had melted into a slushy mess. We dreaded having to go back to the dorms tonight but I vowed to enjoy the day decorating the Christmas tree with Ben, Belle, Adam, Jay, Carlos and Evie. The four of us had talked late into the night last night about the tree lighting. It was a new experience for all of us and now we couldn't wait to get to actually decorate a tree. I woke up earlier today than I had yesterday. I got ready for the day and made my way down to the dining room for breakfast. Evie was already there with Belle and Adam.

"Where are the boys?" I asked sitting down. Mrs. Potts place a plate of bacon and eggs in front of me and I thanked her.

"Still asleep" Evie said.

"Even Ben?" I asked. Belle nodded letting out a little giggle. My eyes lit up with an idea.

"Can I wake him up when I finish eating?" I asked looking at Belle.

"Sure, Lumiere can show you to his room" she said with an amused smile. I ate my food quickly not wanting to miss the opportunity to get him back for waking me up yesterday. Lumiere was standing by the door and raised his hand out to show me the way.

"Mal" Belle called out stopping me before I stepped out of the room. "No funny business" she said with a slight smile. I felt my face flush red.

"No ma'am" I responded feeling extremely embarrassed. I saw Evie trying to contain a giggle but failing.

Lumiere led me to a room that was also in the east wing not too far from the suite we were in. I thanked him and he gave me a bow and turned on his feet, leaving in the direction we had come. I knocked on the door and listened for an answer but heard nothing. I tried the knob and found the door was unlocked. I peeked my head in the room. Wow he had a very big room I thought. I pushed the door open and stepped in. To my right was a seating area next to a fireplace that was on the same wall as the door. My eyes then landed on the bed.

Ben was still sound asleep. I stepped closer to his four poster bed. The sheets were down to his waist. He had his left arm up over his head, his face laying against his upper arm. His right arm was down and his hand was resting on his torso. He was shirtless. I quietly walked up to his bed, leaning against the post and let my eyes wander over him. He was beautiful and looked so peaceful. How was I going to wake him, I thought to myself. My eyes landed on his neck and a thought came to me. I walked up to the side of the bed and climbed on the edge so I could face him. I froze when I heard him let out a little hum, but he didn't move or wake up. I reached up and gathered my hair in my left hand so that it wouldn't tickle him. Bracing myself with my right hand on the bed, I slowly leaned toward him, pressing my lips softly to his exposed neck.

"Mmmh" I heard Ben moan out. He shifted his legs but that was it. I started to move my lips toward the the edge of his jaw. I knew this was a sensitive spot. Since Halloween, Ben and I have made out a couple of times. It was becoming my favorite thing to do, though we rarely had the time to be alone together. I had learned a couple spots that made him react and this was one of them. "Mal" he breathed. I smiled against his skin but kept kissing him. I knew he was waking up. I also knew he didn't want me to stop because he brought the hand that was above his head down to my hair but he didn't move his head so I would continue to have access to his neck. After a moment I pulled away to look at him.

"Good morning" I said softly looking down at him. I let go of my hair and let my hand drop to his bare chest. I had only see him shirtless once before, on our first date, and I didn't really touch him. Now however, I let my hand drift over his chest and abs.

"Good morning" he said. "What a nice way to wake up" he said smiling at me. I was enjoying touching him but he suddenly grabbed my hand to stop its movements and sat up bunching his covers in front of him. My eyes widened.

"Ben, are you naked?" I asked. The thought that maybe he wasn't wearing anything hadn't crossed my mind.

"No I'm not naked. Umm..." he seemed very nervous. "I ahh umm... It's just.." He started and stopped a couple times.

"Whatever it is you can tell me" I said to him trying to reassure him.

"It's just you were kissing me, then touching me and well..." he stopped and took a deep breath. "You've just kinda worked me up a bit" he finished. I knit my brow a bit confused. I caught on when Ben nodded down to his lap.

"Oh! Sorry" I said. I didn't know what else to say or do. "Um should I leave?" I asked.

"No Mal. It's fine. I just need a moment" he said taking another deep breath. "I guess I was the one to sleep in today" he said with a chuckle. "Are you looking forward to decorating the tree today?" he asked. I think he was trying to distract himself.

"Yes. I'm so excited" I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face.

"Well if you want to stay here I will get up and get ready and we can head down to start. Is everyone else up?" he inquired.

He shifted to climb out of the bed, having got control of himself. He was wearing a pair of blue plaid pajama pants. He walked into the bathroom and started brushing his teeth. "When I came up Jay and Carlos were still asleep but I don't know now" I called to him. He finished and walked back out into the room.

"Do you always sleep without a shirt?" I asked him as he got his clothes to wear for that day. I heard him chuckle a little bit.

"Pretty much" he said. I smiled at him, watching him as I climbed off his bed and and leaned against the post of his bed. "Like what you see?" he asked walking up to me. He dropped his clothes on the chair that sat at the foot of his bed.

"Hmm" is all I said as he grabbed my waist pulling me to him. My hands went to his chest. He was so warm. He rubbed his noes against mine and I could smell the minty smell of his mouthwash as he captured my lips with his. The kiss heated up quickly. After a few moments I pulled back breaking our kiss to take a breath. "I better go. Your mom said no funny business and I don't want to get so lost in kissing you that someone comes looking for us."

"Ok" he said taking a step back and picking his clothes back up with a slight smirk on his face. "I'll just be a minute" he said making his way back to the bathroom, closing the door.

* * *

Ben and I walked down to the sitting room hand in hand. Everyone was already there.

"Bout time. We thought we were going to have to send a search party" Jay teased.

"Ha ah ha" I replied sarcastically. "Ben was still sound asleep so he had to get ready."

"Sure, whatever you say" he continued with his teasing while Evie and Carlos laughed. I picked up the nearest throw pillow and threw it at him.

"Now now children lets settle down" Belle said with and amused smile. "I have something for each of you." She walked over to the coffee table where there were four boxes, tied closed with some brown twine. She checked the tags on each one before handing one to each of us. "Go ahead and open them." The four of us gathered together to sit on the couch and opened the boxes to see what was inside. I gasped at the gift inside. I pulled out a dark purple stocking that had gold trim and my name embroidered in gold along the cuff. I looked over at the others and saw they all had stocking as well. They all looked exactly the same only Evie's was blue, Jay's was red and Carlos' was white. I also noticed they matched the stockings Adam, Belle, and Ben already had hanging by the fireplace.

"Everyone needs a stocking" Belle said as she walked over to the fireplace adding four more hooks so we could hang our new stockings. "There is one more small thing in the box" she told us. We looked in our boxes and each pulled out a silver letter ornament. My was obviously an M. I loved it! I felt myself getting a little emotional. I pushed down the lump in my throat and stood to hug Belle.

"Thank you so much!" I said trying not to cry.

"You are very welcome dear. Now come and hang your stockings" she said to us with a warm smile.

We spent hours decorating the tree. There were hundreds of ornaments and lots of stories of how they came to be. It was so sweet getting to see the homemade ornaments that little Ben had made in grade school. Especially the ones that had pictures. My favorite was the snowman who's face was a picture of a little Ben with missing front teeth. "I wish I could have known you when you were little" I said. He looked over at me and smiled.

"I wish I could have known you too" he said back sweetly. Jay laughed and we looked at him.

"You wouldn't have wanted to know Mal back then. She was a biter" he told Ben.

"Was she now?" Ben said looking over at me and wiggling his eyebrows.

"Benjamin!" I scolded. I could feel my face flush at his innuendo. Everyone laughed.

"Trust me it wasn't in a good way. She drew blood. I have a scar on the back of my forearm because I stole some of her paint one time" Jay said.

"That's what you get for stealing" I said sending him a look.

When we finished decorating the tree, Lumiere and Cogsworth brought in a ladder so that Adam could place the star on top. The tree looks amazing.

"Time to light it up" Ben said. The tree lights were plugged into a plug that was controlled by a light switch. We all stood back. I stood in front of Ben and he wrapped his arms around me. Lumiere walked over to the light switches turning off all the lights in the room and then he switched on the lights to the tree. The tree lit up golden white and you could see the shine from the silver ornaments. It was so beautiful. Even better than the tree lighting last nigh I thought.

* * *

After dinner we gathered our things to return to school. Ben rode back with us and walked me to our dorm room. Evie winked at me as she went inside letting us have a moment.

"Thank you for having us. This really has meant a lot to us. You know being included." I told him with a small smile.

"Mal, there is no way I wouldn't include you. Plus my parents love you guys" he said as the dorm room door opened and Evie stepped back out.

"I'm heading to the library to meet up with Doug since we have a few hours until curfew. See you guys later" she said has she headed off down the hallway.

"Well do you want to come in now?" I asked him. Smiling at the fact that I was getting some time alone with him.

"Sure" he said with a smirk on his face. We walked in and I placed my bag on the floor at the foot of my bed. I was feeling bold so I walked up to Ben, grabbing the edges of his letterman jacket and pulling him to me. I pushed my lips to his in a fiery kiss. I felt his hands grip my sides and heard a groan escape him. I pulled away for air looking at him. "Wow" he said with a chuckle. I giggled and sat on my bed. I knew Ben wouldn't be able to stay too long. "So.." he started. "You were a biter?" he said in an amused way.

"I fought dirty" I said with a laugh. "Don't worry I won't bite you unless you want me to" I said winking at him. I don't know what has come over me. I'm not usually this flirty.

"Mal! What has gotten into you" Ben said incredulously, thinking what I was thinking.

"You started it. At least no one is here" I said looking at him as he grinned at me. "I don't know. I guess I'm just getting more comfortable in our relationship too."

He leaned over and pecked my lips. "Good" he said pulling back. "I should probably head back. I have to check some emails and sort through some paperwork with my dad before our meeting tomorrow."

"Ok. When do you think we will be able to see each other again?" I asked pouting at him a little. He grabbed my hand.

"Hopefully soon. I will see you in class but as far as extra time together we will have to play it by ear" he said sadly. He cupped the side of my face with his hand and pulled me in for a sweet kiss. I let myself get lost in our kiss. We pulled away after a few minutes. "I'm gonna go" he said his voice husky. We both stood and I walked him to the door.

"I'm so happy I get to show you what a real Christmas is like" he said smiling at me as he opened the door.

"I'm excited to get to experience a real Christmas" I said back. He leaned in and pecked my lips once more.

"Goodnight Mal." He looked like he wanted to say something else but didn't.

"Goodnight Ben" I said and I watched him walk down the hall. I was honestly excited about Christmas. Everything had been so amazing so far. I felt different. It was like a warm feeling had washed over me and I just felt happy and excited.

* * *

**Again let me know what Christmas traditions you would like to see and I will see if I can add some in.**

**Reviews are love!**


	5. Christmas Pt2

**Author's note: So this is the longest chapter I have done and I'm not even done with Christmas yet! There will be a part 3. Reminder that this is a Bal story and I'm using it to develop their relationship while mixing in the holiday. This also opens the door for other stories I have in my head. Happy reading and feel free to throw out ideas you would like to read!**

* * *

**Part 2**

**First Christmas**

_Mal's POV_

Turns out I wasn't able to spend any time with Ben for a while. It was the end of the year so things were getting busy around the kingdom that required a lot of Ben's time. His father was helping him but Ben had to learn to make all the final decisions on his own and he was swamped. Something about proclamations and tax reforms. I was lost when he was telling me about it over one of our evening phone calls. He had a lot to do before Christmas.

It has been over two weeks since we spent the weekend at the castle and since I have gotten to spend any time with Ben. We talked on the phone in the evenings and every now and then we were able to share a quick hug and kiss between classes. I was missing him. The happy feeling I was beginning to feel with Christmas approaching was fading. It was Wednesday and Ben left this morning to go to a meeting in Lone Keep with his parents. They were planning on staying for a couple days since they were close friends With Sultan Aladdin and Sultana Jasmine. Ben was good friends with their son Aziz.

I was currently sitting in my dorm filling out Christmas cards. Ben said every year everybody handed out Christmas cards to their friends and family. So over the weekend, when Evie drug me out to do more Christmas shopping, I picked up cards to give to everyone. I looked down at my list to see who was next.

Evie x

Jay x

Carlos x

Doug x

Lonnie x

Jane x

Chad x

Audrey

Fairy Godmother

Adam and Belle

Ben

Audrey. I wasn't close to her in any way. I always tried to be friendly even when she would make snide remarks every now and then. She has been dating Chad since Ben sang to me while under the love spell at the tourney game. For the last three months Chad has been following her around like a puppy. She doesn't seem all that interested in him to be honest. What to write, I thought. I went with the basic 'Merry Christmas' and then signed my name. Evie walked in as I was stuffing it into the envelope and dropping it on the pile of finished cards.

"Hey" she greeted me with a smile. "What are you up to?"

"Hey. I'm just filling out Christmas cards" I told her as she came to stand beside me. She reached out picking up the card I just put down.

"You're giving Audrey a Christmas card?" she asked.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I?" I said back to her.

"Uh because she's a snarky witch to you" Evie said raising her eyebrows as if that was obvious.

"Yeah well that doesn't mean I have to be one back" I stated. She smiled at me walking over to her bed and dropping her bag on it.

"Mal you're so much better than her and she was raised to be good" she said with a chuckle.

"I guess Ben has been rubbing off on me" I said grabbing my next card.

"Oh really" Evie said in a teasing sing song voice. I looked over at her and rolled my eyes.

"Not literally E! Get your mind out of the gutter" I told her and she laughed.

"You are so easy to tease. So how are you and Ben?" I knew what she was asking. She wanted to know how our relationship was progressing in more intimate ways. Evie and I were pretty open with each other and I knew I could tell her anything just like she could tell me anything. I set my pen down and walked over to sit on my bed, facing her as she sat on hers.

"We are fine. Not a lot to tell actually" I said shrugging. "We don't get a lot of alone time. Though I'm pretty sure I'm not ready to go all the way, I have questions I would like to ask him."

"Questions?" she asked.

"I guess they are like normal questions couples would ask each other. At least I think they are." I said shrugging again. This was my first relationship and I didn't know how these things worked.

"So what questions do you have?" she asked me.

"Well I have no idea if he has ever done it or not, or how far he has even gone with a girl" I started. "Ugh, I don't even want to think of him with another girl especially Audrey" I said rubbing my face with my hands. Evie giggled again. "I have been avoiding asking these questions because I don't know what to say. I don't want to embarrass myself. I don't have a clue about this stuff."

"Does he know that you haven't done anything before?" she asked me.

"He knows I've never dated before" I told her.

"That doesn't mean that he thinks you are a virgin. You don't have to be dating someone to have sex with them" she said to me. "Ben probably has the same questions you do."

"Evie I won't even kiss him in front of people if I can help it. I'm pretty sure he knows I'm a virgin."

"Don't assume M. There are plenty of married couples that don't like PDA." She had a point. "So you and Ben haven't gone past just kissing?" she asked

"We've made out a couple of times." I thought about how Ben reacted the morning I woke him up. I was sure his reaction was a good thing and debated on telling Evie. I know she wouldn't say a word. Though Evie was a virgin she had done some stuff that I hadn't. "Evie if I tell you something do you promise not to say a word to anyone?"

"Of course, you can tell me anything, you know that" she stood and came to sit beside me on my bed.

"Well the last morning we were at the castle, when I went to wake Ben up, there was an awkward moment" I started. Evie raised her eyebrows like I was about to impart some huge development, which I wasn't. At least I didn't think it was a big deal. "He was asleep and so I decided to kiss him to wake him up." She wagged her eyebrows at me but didn't say anything so I continued. "It did the trick and woke him up, but the thing was he didn't have a shirt on and I couldn't help but touch him" her eyes got big at this statement. "Just his chest and abs, nothing inappropriate" I said giving her a look.

"Ok so how did things get awkward then?" she asked.

"Well he stopped my hand and sat up real fast pulling his covers over himself. Apparently he got a bit excited" I told her, hoping I wouldn't have to spell it out. She grinned catching on, to my relief.

"I can see how that would have been awkward I guess. Mal, that would have been the perfect time to talk about the things you want to know" she informed me.

"He was kind of embarrassed so I didn't want to say anything. I had no clue how to reacted" I said. "I even asked if I should leave."

"Well how do you feel knowing Ben reacted to you like that?" she asked. Evie could be a therapist I thought. She was good at asking personal questions about feelings.

"I guess it's flattering. It's just, I don't know if that is how he would react if anyone was like that with him or if it was me" I told her. Why was this stuff so confusing.

"Do you want to know what I think?" she asked and I nodded my head. "I think that at that moment it was definitely you he was reacting to. You were the only factor at the time that would have turned him on and Ben is so into you that I think he probably reacts that way to you more than you know." I smiled. Evie was good at reassuring me.

"Well how would I know if he has?" I asked her.

"Well if you are pressed up against him you will feel it, so you would know if it's happened before" she said.

"I really don't know if it has. The times we have made out, our bodies haven't been that close. We are usually sitting" I said. Evie shrugged.

"Well if you want to know you can either ask him or get a little closer" she said wagging her eyebrows at me again. Just then my phone rang. I got up grabbing it off the desk. It was Ben.

"Speak of the devil" I said with a giggle and answered the phone.

"Hey you. How was your flight?" I ask him

"Hey. Long" he chuckled. "It is snowing here so Az and I may go skiing tomorrow" he told me.

"Have you skied before?" I asked him. I have obviously never skied but I didn't know if Ben had.

"Yes. Every couple years or so after the first of the year we take a ski trip to Winter's Keep. I learned to ski when I was four" he informed me.

"Well I hope you have fun" I said, my voice a little flat though I was trying to be happy for him.

"Mal is everything ok?" he asked me.

"Everything is fine why?" I said back

"You just sound a little sad is all." he replied. I sighed. I really wasn't feeling all that chipper but I wouldn't say I was sad.

"I think I'm losing the Christmas spirit because I'm missing you" I told him.

"I'm missing you too baby, but I have some news." he said.

"Oh yeah and that would be?" I prompted.

"When I get back I am free from work until the new year. So we can spend some time together and I can teach you some more Christmas traditions" he said. I could hear the excitement in his voice and it was raising my spirits already.

"I can't wait!" I said. Nineteen days was a long time to not get to spend any real time together, but who was counting. "What do you want to do this weekend?" I asked now that I knew I was going to be able to spend time with him.

"Well it is suppose to snow there tomorrow. If it sticks maybe we can get everyone together and go sledding" he suggested. Jane was just talking about sledding today. It sounded like fun.

"That sounds like fun" I said. "I really can't wait to see you."

"I can't wait to see you either. With school letting out on Friday for Christmas and New Years, it's going to be nice to have two whole weeks where I can see you when I want to" he said.

"Yep" I said with a little giggle.

"Well, I gotta run. I'm due at dinner in five minutes" he told me. " I will call you tomorrow."

"Ok talk to you then" I said.

"Good night baby" he said.

"Good night Ben."

* * *

It snowed all day the next day into Friday. By the time I got back to my dorm after dinner Friday evening I was sure the snow was going to last and we would be able to go sledding. I sent texts out to all of our friends to invite them to go sledding tomorrow. We decided to make a day of it. I also texted Ben to tell him sledding was a go and that we thought it would be a good time to do the gift exchange with everyone.

When I woke up Saturday morning I couldn't help but feel happy. I was going to be spending a good part of today with Ben. Of course we would also be with our friends but it was better than just seeing him across the classroom or in passing in the halls. I looked over and saw Evie was already up. I heard the shower turn on, so she must be getting ready for the day. I climbed out of bed and pulled the curtains open. The day was bright and clear. I had already wrapped everyone's gifts last night and bagged them up so they would be easy to take with us. I grabbed my phone to text Ben.

_**Good morning. I cant wait to see you!**_

There was a possibility he was still asleep. He had a long fight yesterday and got in a little late.

_**Good morning. I can't wait either. I will pick you guys up at 10.**_

After I texted Ben yesterday he suggested we all meet up at the castle to do the gift exchange and lunch and then we could go sledding. I looked over at the clock and it was nearly nine. Evie walked out of the bathroom with her hair tied up on top of her head and a towel around her. "Ben said he will pick us up in an hour" I said to her. Evie's eyes widened.

"That soon! I better hurry then" she said as she began to scramble to get her clothes. I laughed while I grabbed my clothes and made my way into the bathroom. I turned the shower on and then, like Evie, I pulled my hair up so it wouldn't get wet. It was far too cold for wet hair! I got in the shower but that didn't stop Evie from coming in to do her make-up.

"Mal your shower is so hot the mirror keeps fogging" she complained.

"Sorry... you could always use the mirror in the room" I said back to her.

"Yeah but all my make-up is in here and it's just a hassle" she said using the hair dryer to defog the mirror. I quickly finished my shower and as I was about to step out we heard a knock on the dorm room door. "I'll get it" Evie said walking out. I shut the door behind her so whoever it was wouldn't see me in all my glory. I managed to dry off and get dressed before Evie came back in to finish her make-up.

"Who was at the door?" I asked her as I pulled my hair down and began to brush it.

"Oh it was just the boys. They are out there waiting." she told me. I was a little surprised. I thought for sure we were going to have to go get them up and moving. I finished with my hair and make-up and went out to see Jay and Carlos. They were sitting on the floor fighting over the remote to the T.V. I reached down and easily pulled it from them.

"Ben will be here soon" I told them. "I'm surprised you guys are ready."

"We're excited to go sledding" Carlos said. "Jane made it sound like so much fun."

"That and the gifts" Jay said with a smirk. I just shook my head at them and heard another knock on the door. I went to answer it this time. I opened to door and saw Ben standing there. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face.

"You're a little early" I said.

"I missed you" he said smiling at me as I opened the door wider to let him in. He stepped in as Evie came out of the bathroom.

"Ok boys lets go get your stuff before Ben gets here" she said before looking up and noticing that Ben was already here. "Oh, hey Ben" she said smiling at him.

"Hey guys" Ben said to everyone.

"I'm going to go with the boys to their dorm to get their gifts. We will meet you guys out at the car" Evie said as she grabbed her stuff and walked out of the dorm with the boys behind her.

I looked up at Ben and giggled a little bit. We both knew Evie was letting us have a moment alone. Before I knew it Ben pulled me into his arms hugging me tightly, his face in my hair. I wrapped my arms around his neck, squeezing him back. I inhaled his scent. I really missed him. He pulled back just enough to press his lips to mine. He kissed me hungrily. His tongue swiped across my lip, begging for entrance. I slid my tongue against his savoring the taste of him. He pulled back after a few moments and we tried to control our breathing.

"I missed that" he said and I just laughed. "Are you ready to go?" he asked me.

"Yeah" I said. I stepped away from him to grab my coat, hat and gloves. He picked up the bag containing the gifts and we headed down to the car hand in hand. I was feeling so happy I could burst. We slid into the car and saw Evie, Jay and Carlos walking out with Jane, Lonnie and Doug. Ben was texting someone.

"Audrey and Chad are on their way out now" he said. I looked at Ben and wondered if it was Audrey or Chad he had been texting. I don't know why it mattered to me but I hoped it wasn't Audrey. I hated the jealous feeling I had when it came to Audrey. This is another thing that I should talk to Ben about but couldn't bring myself to. A few minutes later Chad and Audrey came out and we all made our way to the castle.

When we got to the castle the first thing I noticed is that more decorations had been put up. There were garlands and wreaths adorning all the doors and windows. There was another large Christmas tree in the main hall, only this one looked like a professional had a decorated it in the gold and blue color scheme. It was beautiful but I still preferred the tree in the sitting room that we decorated together.

We shed our coats and made our way to the sitting room to exchange gifts. We decided that Jay, Carlos, Evie, Ben and I were going to wait to exchange our gifts on Christmas. I got Jane, Lonnie and Audrey all gift certificates to the spa. I got Chad a video game that Ben told me he would like and I got Doug a book about gem stones. Jane got me a new sketch book and Lonnie got me a new scarf with matching gloves. Doug got me a gift card to an arts and crafts store and from Chad I got some chocolates. He actually got all the girls chocolates. Audrey gave me a Christmas card. I honestly didn't expect her to give me anything. She did however give Ben a framed picture of her and Ben when they were little. It made for a very awkward moment. I could tell Ben didn't know what to say or do and Chad just looked hurt.

"Aww look how cute you guys were" I said trying to diffuse the tension. Just then Belle walked in, to my relief.

"Hello everyone" she said with a smile. "How about after you all go sledding, you can come back here for some hot chocolate and a friendly gingerbread house decorating contest?" she suggested to all of us.

"Sounds awesome mom" Ben said smiling up at her while setting the picture aside. Everyone nodded in agreement. Belle told us all to have fun but be careful before she left.

After everyone finished opening their gifts. Mrs. Potts brought in sandwiches for lunch and we ate in the sitting room. I noticed Audrey looking at our stockings that were hanging from the mantel, throwing them a look of disgust. I wondered how Ben had spent the holidays with her. Did she use to have a stocking here?

* * *

We all headed out to the big hill that was behind the gardens at the castle. The guys all carrying a two person, plastic sled each. We all paired up. I was with Ben. Evie with Doug, Jane with Carlos, Lonnie with Jay, and Audrey with Chad.

"Do you want to go alone or do you want me to ride with you?" Ben asked me as he put the sled down on the ground.

"Umm together" I said. I hadn't sledded before and wasn't sure how to. "I don't know how to stop and go so I don't think going by myself the first time would be a good idea"

"Don't worry I will teach you" his voice was soft like it was when he told me he would teach me how to love. I smiled at him and at the memory of our first date not that long ago. "You climb on the front" he told me. I climbed on the sled and slid to the front. I looked over at Jane who was already on their sled and pulled my feet up against the front lip of the sled like her. I felt Ben slide on behind me, his legs coming up beside mine and his feet on either side of my feet.

"Well isn't this cozy" I teased, tipping my head back to look at him. I heard him chuckle before he leaned down and kissed my cheek. His lips were warm on my cold face.

"Ok reach down and grab the rope" I did as he asked and we both gripped the rope with his hands in front of mine. I smiled. I was literally surrounded by him and I loved it. "So to go I will just push us off. To turn we just have to lean the direction we want to go. It helps to drag your hand in the snow also but you don't have to unless you are trying to make a sharper turn. There is no real way to stop except for rolling off or waiting until you stop at the bottom" he said. I nodded. This was going to be a thrill ride I thought.

Just then I saw Jane and Carlos start to slide down the hill. It only took seconds for them to speed up and make there way down. We could hear their laughter and it made me laugh too.

"You ready?" Ben asked and I nodded enthusiastically. "Ok here we go" he said as he let go of the rope with one hand. He pushed off with his hand and shifted his body weight back and forth once and grabbed the rope again as our sled began to race down the hill. I couldn't help the squeal of delight that escaped my mouth and I could hear Ben laughing in my ear. We came to a stop at the bottom and Lonnie and Jay made it down a minute later, with Evie and Doug right behind them. We were all laughing as we got off our sleds for the trek back up the hill.

"So how did you like it?" Ben asked me.

"It's so much fun!" I said as he grabbed the rope of our sled to drag it up. I looked up the hill to see Audrey and Chad still standing at the top talking, though Audrey didn't look happy with her arms crossed across her chest. "Looks like there is trouble in paradise" I mumbled and Ben looked up the hill to them. He shrugged it off.

"Race you to the top" he said. I raised my eyebrows at him, smirking.

"You're on" I said. Then I gave him a little shove knocking him on his backside in the snow and took off up the hill. I was laughing so hard when I reached the top I had to lean over and grip my knees to catch my breath.

"Hey, you cheated" Ben puffed out a few seconds later when he caught up.

"I never said I played fair" I teased as I straightened back up. Jay and Lonnie made it back up a minute later and challenged us to a race.

"You're on" Ben and I said at the same time, making us laugh again. We got back on our sled.

"On you mark...get set ...go" Jay called out and we raced down the hill once more. We were in the lead until they decided to cheat. Jay swerved their sled toward us causing us to lean the opposite direction and we wound up tipping over and off our sled. Ben held on to me as we rolled through the snow. We came to a stop pretty quickly with Ben on top of me.

"Are you ok?" Ben asked his voice sounded panicked. I couldn't help but giggle.

"I'm fine" I answered when I was able to stop giggling. "This is new" I flirted looking up at him as he was still on top of me. He pulled his brows together in confusion. I wiggled my body underneath him to clue him in. I knew he got it when a wide smile appeared on his face. He leaned down and pressed a sweet kiss to my lips. I reached up and placed my gloved hand on the side of his face. It was so different not being able to feel his skin. Before we were able to get too carried away in our kiss we heard Lonnie call out.

"Are you guys ok?" we heard her yell. Ben pulled back from me and chuckled. He got up pulling me up after him.

"Fine" he yelled back down to them. When we got back down to our sled at the bottom of the hill, Evie walked up to me and asked if I would ride down with her, so Evie and I walked back up the hill together, Ben following us to ride solo. Chad must have gone down the hill without Audrey because she was still standing at the top and Chad was at the bottom picking up his sled. They must have had a falling out.

"This is so much fun" Evie gushed.

"Yes it is. It gives you quite the rush" I said laughing.

"Are you ok? That looked like some tumble you guys took" she inquired.

"Fine. Ben kept me safe" I answered with a smirk and she gave me a wink. "See you at the bottom" I told Ben as Evie and I climbed onto the sled and sped down the hill.

We were ambushed with snowballs when we reached the bottom. It was an all out war. Everyone was running and laughing all while trying to scoop up snowball as fast as we could. It turned into guys against girls. Us girls, being of superior mind, grabbed all the sleds to use them as shields. I noticed Ben hadn't made it down yet and turned to look up the hill. He was talking to Audrey. A moment later I watched as he put the sled down and Audrey climbed on and Ben got on behind her. That jealous feeling hit me hard. I felt like I didn't want to be here when they made it to the bottom, so I started back up the hill on my own with my sled.

When I made it to the top I turned around to watch what was going on below. As soon as Ben and Audrey made it to the bottom, they were pelted with snowballs. They immediately joined the war. Ben must have raised Audrey's spirits, because she was now laughing and having fun. They hadn't noticed I was MIA yet and that was fine with me. I turned the sled upside down pushing it into the snow so I could sit on it without it sliding. It didn't take long for Ben to realize I wasn't there. He looked around spotting me sitting up here and made his way towards me.

I was feeling panicky. What was I suppose to say to him? That I'm crazy jealous? That I don't feel like I'm good enough and watching him with Audrey makes me feel inadequate? I let my head drop into my hands as he approached.

"Hey" he said softly, sitting down on the sled next to me. "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah" I said without lifting my head.

"Come on Mal. Talk to me" he said reaching up and pulling one of my hands away.

"I really don't know what to say" I said honestly, not looking at him.

"Well how about you start with telling me what you're feeling right now" he suggested.

"Confused" I said finally looking at him. "I feel like I keep finding myself in situations where I don't know what to do or say or how to even feel."

He didn't say anything for a few minutes. "Did it bother you that I sledded with Audrey?" he was to the point.

"A little" I said. "It's just watching you with her sometimes makes me feel like ...I don't know." I said sighing. I just didn't know how to say the things I wanted to say to him. It just felt like too much right now.

"Audrey seems more chipper now" I commented, looking down where everyone was now making snowmen. "What did you say to her to change her mood?"

"Not much really. She came up to me after you and Evie went down and started talking about how we use to go sledding when we were little and asked if I would go down with her and I agreed but that was all. I really didn't do anything" he said. I turned to him.

"Do you want to know what I really think?" I asked him.

"Yes" he answered simply.

"She still wants you Ben" I said. He chuckled and looked at me.

"I figured that was going through your mind and I do agree with you, but the thing is she doesn't really want me." he said. I gave him an 'are you kidding me' sort of look. "What she wants has very little to do with me and more to do with the status and crown I come with. Someone has shown me the difference between being wanted for what I have and being wanted for me." He smile at me giving me a pointed look. "I don't want her Mal. Been there done that." I tried not to read into what he just said. That was a conversation for another time. "I just want to be with you" he said trying to reassure me.

I smiled at him, his words making me feel better. I know I still had a lot I needed to talk to him about but we will get there.

We looked down at our friends who were still making snowmen. Ben chuckled.

"I think we owe someone some payback" he said with a mischievous smirk on his face.

"What?" I asked not sure what he was talking about.

"What do you say to taking out Jay's snowman?" he asked me looking at me with a huge smile.

"Now Ben, I think I may be rubbing off on you" I said giggling at him. "Let's do it!" We stood and lined up the sled for a direct hit. We took off and it wasn't long before we crashed right through Jay's snowman. We didn't think about all the snow we were going to be covered in. Especially me because I was on the front. I had most of the snowman now in my lap and couldn't move. We laughed when we heard Jay complaining. I felt Ben reach around me to start pushing the heavy snow off of me.

* * *

After we all played in the snow for a little while we headed back to the castle. We headed to the formal dinning room. There were ten constructed gingerbread houses sitting on the table, along with everything to decorate them with. There were candies of all sorts and bags of colored icing, sugar and coconut. I saw Carlos start to reach for the candy and knew he was going to start eating it.

"Carlos" I said stopping him and giving him a look. Belle and Adam came into the dining room after us.

"So we got everything set up here. Everyone gets their own gingerbread house to decorate however you want. Since this is a competition we will give you two hours and then we will have Mrs. Potts pick a winner." Belle told us. "She will not know who's house is who's so it will be an unbiased decision." I looked at everyone. This was a very competitive group I thought. Belle gave us the go ahead to start. I grabbed a house and moved away from everyone else but still within reach of the supplies. Ben looked hurt when I didn't come sit by him.

"Avoiding sabotage" I said sending him a smile.

"Good thinking" he said moving away from Carlos and sending me a smile. The two hours went by fast and everybody was so into decorating their house, that no one tried to mess with anyone else. We did have to keep telling Jay and Carlos not to eat all the decorations. We all took our houses to the buffet table along the back wall. Some of the houses were obvious who had decorated them. Audrey's was covered in pink icing and Evie's was decorated in nothing but blue. Doug had place seven little snowmen in front of his.

I went with classic Christmas colors and avoided using purple. I used nonpareils as shingles on the roof so it looked like it was covered in snow. I piped some pretty snowflakes on the walls. My art skills came in handy while decorating my house. I also piped a wreath with a red bow over the door and managed to make it look like icicles were hanging from the roof.. Ben's house looked pretty. He made it look like his house was decorated with Christmas lights. I liked it.

We stood quietly as Mrs. Potts came in and looked at each of our houses one by one. I was very surprised when she chose my house as the winner.

"I choose this one. The snowflakes are so lovely" she said pointing to my house.

"Who did this one?" Belle asked.

"Me" I said feeling a little timid as they all looked at me.

"We should have known Mal would win. She is the most artistic one out of all of us" Evie said and almost everyone nodded. I didn't know how to respond, so I tried to divert the attention back to their houses.

"All of your houses look wonderful too. Anyone could have won" I said.

"Well that was fun how about we go have some hot chocolate and watch a Christmas movie before everyone heads back to the dorms" Ben suggested. Everyone agreed and we all headed to the theater room. Ben stopped me in the doorway before heading in.

"Are you ok?" he asked me. He must have caught on to how weird the attention from winning made me feel.

"Yeah I'm good" I told him. "Thanks for the diversion." We heard Jane call out Ben's name and turned to look at her. She just pointed to the top of the door and we looked up. There was a what looked like a piece of a small green bush hanging above the doorway.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Mistletoe" Ben smiled at me with a slight gleam in his eye.

"And what is mistletoe?" I asked. I had never heard of it.

"Well you kiss if you are caught under the mistletoe." He said and I heard some of my friends laugh.

"So do two people have to be caught under it together?" I asked. This was kind of a weird tradition I thought. Ben laughed.

"No and we don't just kiss anyone these days. Back in the day it was something so that men could steal a kiss from a woman, but now people only kiss people they don't mind kissing. It is considered bad luck to refuse a kiss all together" Ben explained. I looked at him smiling at me. I most definitely didn't mind kissing him.

"Did you stop me here on purpose?" I asked teasing him a bit as I stepped closer to him.

"No! I didn't even know it was there I swear" he said putting his hands up in defense.

"Well we don't want to have bad luck now do we" I said quietly. He smiled at me again and slowly leaned down and pressed a sweet kiss to my lips.

We joined our friends and watched the Christmas movie 'Elf', which was hilarious. Audrey looked sour for the rest of our time there and I think that had to do with the fact that she didn't have Ben's attention like she wanted. I just came to the conclusion that this was just something I was going to have to deal with for a while.

* * *

**Thanks again for reading. Part 3 is coming soon!**

**Reviews are love!**


	6. Christmas Pt3

**Author's Note: More Bal fluff and relationship building. I have so many side stories in my head! So here is the final part of Christmas. Happy reading!**

* * *

**Part 3**

**First Christmas**

_Ben's POV_

Like I usually did, I walked Mal back to her dorm after our day sledding and making gingerbread houses. Evie unlocked their door then turned to us.

"Thanks for the fun day today Ben" she said opening the door.

"Anytime" I said smiling back at her before she went in and closed the door behind her to give us a moment to say goodnight. Mal leaned against the closed dorm room door. She looked up at the top of the door and then smiled at me.

"Maybe I should get some mistletoe" she said in a flirty voice.

"You just want a kiss" I flirted back, stepping closer to her. She reached up and placed her hands on my chest.

"Maybe" she said and let her hands slide up to my neck pulling me closer before pressing her lips to mine. I placed my hands on her waist. I had noticed she was becoming more bold when it came to us kissing. We didn't let ourselves get carried away in the kiss because we were standing in the dorm hallway. Mal was getting better about kissing when other people were around, and by other people I mean only our friends and only a brief kiss here or there. I was fine with this. I would kiss her in front of the world because I knew I was in love with her. Mal is still sorting through her emotions, so I will go at her pace.

"We are going to go look at Christmas lights at Auradon City Park on Wednesday evening and I wanted to ask if you wanted to come?" I asked her. Her fingers were rubbing through my hair by my neck and it was sending shivers down my spine. How did she manage to make me feel like this?

"Like a date?" she asked.

"Well if you call hanging out with my parents a date." I said with a chuckle. She smiled.

"Not particularly, but I would love to go" she said to me.

"Awesome. I will pick you up at five and we will go out to dinner with my parents then head over to see the lights. You're going to love it." I told her.

She smiled at me again and I couldn't help but lean down to kiss her again. Just then the door started to open and Mal began to fall back. Luckily she still had her arms around me and I was able to wrap my arms more firmly around her to keep her from falling.

"Sorry" Evie said. "Um I forgot Doug's Christmas card today so I'm just going to go take it to him before curfew. He is leaving tomorrow to go spend Christmas with his family so I won't see him until after new years." She gave a little wave and walked down the hall heading to Doug's dorm. I shook my head.

"So are those two a couple?" I asked Mal.

"I honestly don't know what they are. I don't think they know either." she said.

"It's like they are dating but they're not" I said. Mal laughed.

"I had that same thought. Whatever it is, it's working for them I guess. I wonder if I should be concerned that Doug is stealing my best friend." she commented with a smile.

"Don't worry. I will be your best friend if he does" I flirted with her. She giggled and let her hands slide down to my chest.

"You already are one of my best friends but I can't have girl talk with you" she said with a smirk.

"That's true. I don't know much about girl stuff" I said. She raised up and pecked my lips again.

"You have your uses though" she joked.

"I guess" I said leaning in for another kiss. I let this one linger for a moment but didn't deepen it. Just relishing in the feel of her soft lips. I smiled against her mouth.

"What?" she said pulling back.

"Nothing, just happy I guess" I responded. "I gotta go though."

"Ok. I'll see you soon?" she asked.

"Not soon enough" I flirted. After one last kiss I watched Mal go into her dorm and headed out to go back to the castle. My mind went to how Mal reacted today when we were sledding. At first when I found out that sledding with Audrey upset her I was worried and I still am a little bit but as I thought more about it, it also made me happy. Mal is jealous, and probably for the first time in her life. She doesn't tell me how she feels really and I know that's because this is all new to her, but the fact that she is jealous proves that she has real feelings for me. I thought she did but this just kind of shows me I was right.

Now I need to find a way to keep her from feeling too overwhelmed with that particular emotion. I have never seen Mal with anyone else and she has never mentioned being with anyone else but the thought alone makes me feel jealous. It is not a particular emotion I care for and I don't want Mal to feel that way if I can help it.

Audrey has been a little more forward lately and I don't know what to do. I can't be completely cold to her. We have known each other our whole lives. Besides that I am the king and she is a princess so there is a friendly decorum I must keep. I am glad that I was able to reassure Mal today.

There is so much that Mal and I need to talk about. I just don't want to push her. I honestly don't know if Mal has ever _been_ with anyone else before. I know she said she has never dated before but that doesn't mean she hasn't fooled around with anyone else. I just have to keep reminding myself that our relationship is still pretty new. We will get there.

* * *

It snowed all day Sunday and into Monday and once again I had a full plate of work. The ice had caused a lot of power outages. I had to call for linemen from other regions. There were also a lot of citizens that were snowed in. I also called in more plows and had workers salting the entire city. With all of this dumped on me I haven't been able to spend any time with Mal. She assured me it was fine because Fairy Godmother had forbidden them from leaving the school.

I was so happy to wake up to a bright, clear, sunny day on Tuesday. I was sitting in my office when my father came in to tell me all the power had been restored and all the roads were cleared.

"Do you think we will still go see the lights tomorrow?" I asked him.

"Yeah we can still go to Auradon City Park and do the Nights of Lights." He said. Night of Lights is a big walk through light display all through the park. This is the first year it has been done and I heard it is amazing.

"That sounds great. I think Mal will like seeing the lights. I want her to experience all my favorite Christmas things" I told him.

"I got to tell you son, Mal is very different than we imagined her to be. Your mother and I are growing quite fond of her. Of all of the VKs really" my dad said.

"I'm fond of her myself" I said smiling at him. He smiled back. We both knew I was more than just fond of Mal.

Since the day was clear I went outside with my dad and helped the footmen shovel snow from the front drive and steps. We moved on to shovel the walkways that wind through the gardens. It took forever but my dad believed that we should always help with manual labor if we were of sound body. He taught me that even though we are blessed with our lot in life we shouldn't expect everyone to do everything for us when we are able to do it. So I always shoveled snow every year along with cleaning my own room as a child. Now that I'm older it doesn't get that messy and the maids still come in to do the heavy cleaning.

Wednesday dawned just as bright as the day before. I was excited to get to take Mal to see the Christmas light display tonight. I picked up my phone to call her when it chimed with a text.

_**Hey dude, everyone is going to go ice skating. Wanna go?**_

It was a text from Chad. Ice skating sounded like fun. Crescent Lake always froze over solid every year and was the spot for ice skating. There was even a vendor that set up every year that rented skates and hockey equipment.

_**Sounds like fun. I'm gonna call and see if Mal wants to go**_.

I was about to call her anyway and this was a good excuse to see her before we go out tonight.

_**Cool. Carlos and Jay already said they would come when I told Jay about hockey. Maybe I can beat Jay at hockey.**_

I laughed to myself. Jay was naturally gifted at sports it seemed and with hockey being pretty physical he is going to catch on fast. The only thing that might throw him off is the skating part. I don't know if any of them have ever ice skated before. One way to find out. I scrolled to Mal's name and hit the call button.

"Hey you" she answered on the second ring.

"Hey. What are you up to?" I asked her. I wasn't sure if she had plans or anything.

"Not much, just drawing. Evie abandoned me to go to the library to get a head start on her Magical History research paper." she told me.

"Well would you maybe want to go ice skating with me?" I asked her hoping she would agree.

"I've never ice skated before" she said. I smiled. This was something else I could teach her.

"Well I can teach you" this seemed to be a phrase I was using with her a lot. I could almost hear her smile.

"Ok, but I don't have any skates" she said.

"Don't worry we can rent skates out at the lake. Apparently the guys are going too. They are going to play hockey" I said to her.

"What's hockey?" she asked.

"It's a sport played while ice skating. Don't worry you don't have to play that. It's kinda rough" I told her. There is no way I wanted her to play hockey!

"Are you saying I'm not tough enough to play?" she asked sounding a little offended.

"Not at all! I just really like your face and I think you might want to keep your teeth" I told her.

"Fair point. Hockey doesn't sound like something I would like" she concluded.

"Probably not. I'll see you in about thirty minutes." I was happy I was going to get a little extra time with Mal today. I went down to the kitchen to pack a thermos of hot chocolate and some snacks. Might as well make it a mini date.

I walked up to Mal's dorm carrying a bag with the hot chocolate, some cups and snacks. Mal opened the door and I couldn't help but smile.

"Ready" I asked her.

"As I'll ever be" she said smiling back at me before she place her hands on my face and pressed a kiss to my lips. The kiss was sweet and lasted a bit longer than I expected it to before she pulled away.

"Hey" she said, her voice low.

"Hey" I breathed back.

I grabbed her hand and we walked out of the dorms. Crescent Lake was just beyond Auradon Prep so we were able to just walk there. The lake was huge, so those who wanted to casually skate could do so while those who wanted to play hockey could play on the other side of the lake. A wall of snow was constructed across the ice to divide the two areas so skaters wouldn't get hit by stray hockey pucks.

"Let's go get some skates" I said to her and we walked over to the rental stand. We ran into Jane and Lonnie who told us all the guys were already there playing hockey. I looked over and saw Carlos ducking behind the goal while Jay was aggressively shooting pucks toward the goal. We got our skates and sat down on a bench to put them on. I stood and turned to help Mal up. She was a bit wobbly.

"I don't know if I can do this" she said nervously as we made our way toward the ice.

"I gotcha. I won't let you fall" I told her. We stepped on the ice and she started to go down almost instantly. I held her up giving her tips and telling her about her toe pick. She slowly figured out her balance and I slid behind her to push her along the ice but still be able to catch her if she falls. She began to move her feet and was doing well.

"Are you ready for me to let go?" I asked her.

"Um sure" she said. I let her go and she drifted along the ice. I stayed close in case she went down. She made it about ten yards before she lost her balance. I managed to grab her waist and kept her on her feet. She gripped my shoulders and regained her balance. She stared up at me, smiling. "Thanks for not letting me fall." We set off again and she was getting pretty good. She only hit the ice once.

"Want to sit down and have some hot chocolate?" I asked after we did a couple laps around the lake. She nodded so we made our way over to the bench. I pulled out the cups and poured hot chocolate for both of us. Mal took a sip staring off at something.

"Who is that with Audrey?" she asked me and I looked in the direction she was looking.

"That's Princess Anxelin. She's Rapunzel's daughter" I told her.

"Oh. I've never seen her before" she commented.

"Her and her family have been traveling the kingdom." She is coming back to Auradon Prep after the holidays from what I heard" I said. "Her and Audrey are close."

"Nice. She will probably hate me then" she said sarcastically. Just then I noticed Audrey and Anxelin skate over to us.

"Ben, Mal" Audrey said in greeting.

"Hey Audrey, hey Anxelin" I said."Anxelin this is my girlfriend Mal. Mal this is Anxelin" I said introducing them. Mal gave a little wave and smiled.

"Hi nice to meet you" Mal said. Anxelin was her usual self and ignored Mal.

"Wait you two aren't together anymore?" she asked, pointing at both me and Audrey. I guess Audrey didn't tell her.

"Nope. Haven't been for months. Audrey is with Chad now" I said. Anxelin looked a little shocked and I wasn't sure why.

"Actually Chad and I broke up. It wasn't really going anywhere. So he is single" Audrey directed her words at Anxelin.

"Well it was good seeing you" Anxelin said before skating off. Audrey followed her.

"I don't know what that was all about" I said and heard Mal start to laugh. I turned and looked at her confused.

"Well if I read the situation right I think Anxelin may have had a thing for Chad and it's obvious that Audrey knew. Probably why she didn't tell her good friend that you guys broke up" she said. I couldn't believe she was able to deduce that from that five minute exchange. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Well that sounds plausible" I said. We finished our hot chocolate and had some finger sandwiches before we skated for a little while longer. Too soon Mal wanted to head back to her dorm so she could get ready for tonight. I kissed her goodbye at her door. Her lips cold but soft against mine. I told her I would see her in a couple hours.

* * *

We had just finished dinner and were walking over to the light display in Auradon City Park. There was an attendant handing out maps that shows the light trails you can take. "Your Majesty" he said handing me a map and bowing. I thanked him and turned to my parents.

"Why don't we split up. You two can take the trail to the left and your father and I will go right." my mom said to us.

"Ok do you want to meet back here in an hour?" I asked them. My mother nodded and smiled at us as her and dad headed off in the opposite direction. I looked at Mal and smiled as we headed into the park. The lights were magnificent but the best part was Mal's face as she held onto my arm and looked at all the lights in aw. There were millions of lights and themes that changed around every corner. I think I must have missed half of the display because I couldn't help but watch her as she took it all in. We came to a bench and sat. The lights in front of us putting on a show to some Christmas music we could hear playing from speakers that must be place around the park.

"What are you thinking?" I asked looking at her.

"Just how beautiful this all is" she said not taking her eyes off the display.

"Yes it is" I said back not taking my eyes off her. She turned her head to look at me a small smile pulling up her lips. I pulled my glove off and reached my hand up to her face, dragging my thumb across her bottom lip before pulling her lips to mine. Her hands came up and gripped the lapels of my peacoat. She deepened the kiss by running her tongue across my lip asking for more and I gave it to her. We were in a public place so I thought she should take the lead. I felt one of her hands slide up to the back of my neck as she let out a soft moan. I knew she was getting carried away and we weren't in a private place. I slowly pulled out of the kiss letting my forehead lean against hers. "What has gotten into you?" I teased.

She pulled her face back slightly to look at me. She turned her head to look at the lights, almost like she was being shy but then turned back to me. "I just really wanted to kiss you" she said.

"I could tell" I said and watched her bite down on her bottom lip. It made me want to bite it too. I reminded myself that we are in public and could not make out here. "Let's go. It's almost time to meet up with my parents" I said standing and reaching out for her hand. She looked a little stunned at my change of pace. Almost like I hurt her feelings. I leaned down and whispered in her ear "Trust me I really want to kiss you the way you want to kiss me but we are in public." I felt her shiver and I didn't know if it was from me or the cold. I just smiled at her smiling at me and we set off again.

* * *

_Mal's POV_

I unlocked the door to my dorm before turning back to Ben. "Do you want to come in? Evie is out, so it would just be us" I told him.

"Um ok, sure" he sounded nervous and I started to wonder if I was too assertive when we were kissing at the park. I smiled and opened the door for us. I pulled off my scarf and coat throwing them over the desk chair. Ben did the same thing. I watched him. He looked so carefree when he wasn't wearing a suit. He was wearing a navy blue cotton long sleeve shirt and some dark jeans. His crown looked out of place with his casual attire. As I thought that, he reached up and pulled his crown off and placed it on the desk.

"So where is Evie tonight?" he asked still sounding nervous.

"She went to the movies with Jane. I think she is trying to stay busy so she doesn't miss Doug too much. Is everything ok? You seem nervous." I asked.

"Um yeah. I guess I am feeling nervous" he said as he sat down on my bed. I sat down next to him and waited for him to continue. "It's just I don't want you to feel like I don't want to kiss you or whatever but I also don't want to push you" he said. I took a deep breath. This was a good time for us to talk about things but I had no clue what to say. I looked at him and I knew he was waiting for me to respond.

"Well I guess I kinda feel like that too" I told him. "I honestly don't know what came over me at the light display. I know I'm not big on public displays of affection but I couldn't help it I guess." He just smiled at me.

"Just so you know, it doesn't bother me that you don't want to kiss me in front of people. I will go at your pace. That being said I also don't mind if you did want to kiss me in front of people. I just want you to be comfortable" he told me. He was so sweet. I leaned in and pecked his lips.

"Thank you" I said smiling at him.

"So did you not kiss guys in front of anyone on the Isle?" he asked. Well it looked like he was opening the door for me and all I needed to do was walk through. How do I tell him he is the only guy I have ever kissed? I looked into his eyes for a moment and thought I guess I should just say it out right.

"Well considering you are the only guy I have ever kissed the answer would be no" I told him slowly. I watched as a smile spread across his face.

"So is it safe to assume you also haven't done other stuff with other guys?" he asked.

"I kind of thought that was obvious, but to answer your question no I have never done anything with any other guys. Why would you think that I had?" I asked him.

"It's not that I thought you had it was more like I didn't know that you hadn't" he said. I nodded my head in understanding. I guess Evie was right and Ben did have the same questions as me.

"What about you?" I felt a second of panic like I may not want to know the answer. He was with Audrey before me and I didn't know if I wanted to know if he had sex with her.

"Well I haven't done anything with any other guys either" he joked laughing. I shoved his shoulder.

"Ben you know what I mean!" I said to him.

"I know" he let out another chuckle before continuing. "Well Audrey was my first girlfriend and the first girl I had ever kissed." He didn't say anything beyond that.

"So did you and her like...you know?" I couldn't come right out and say it. Ben pulled his eyebrows together.

"Have sex?" he asked and I nodded. Ben laughed again. I wasn't sure what was so humorous. "No we never had sex." He pulled his right knee up on the bed so he could face me, and grabbed my hand. "I'm a virgin." I let out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding. His answer gave me the courage to ask the next question.

"So how far have you gone?" I watched him smile at me.

"Everything we have done is as far as I have ever gone with a girl. Audrey and I didn't even make out. I think we french kissed once but she was too concerned with appearances and would go on about not having 'carnal thoughts'" he said signing quotations. I smiled. This was good I thought. We were on the same page. He just looked at me. I reached up with my right hand cupping the side of his face and brought my lips to his. I felt his right hand come up to my face, pushing his fingers into my hair and deepening then kiss. Our tongues began to side against each other. I was becoming a little overwhelmed. I pulled back to catch my breath.

"You're good at that" I breathed. He looked confused. "Kissing" I clarified for him.

"Back at you" he said and smiled.

"I want you to know I don't have any expectations but I know I am no where near ready for sex" I let him know.

"Ok" is all he said. I raised my eyebrows at him. "Mal I would never pressure you. I'm not going to say I'm not ready for sex. I mean you saw how I reacted to you when you woke me up, but I will say I don't want to do it now. Our relationship is still new and well, we are just now talking about this stuff. I want us to have some time before sex becomes a factor."

"I really like making out with you though" I told him with a smile. "And when I'm ready to move things along I will let you know." He smiled back at me, moving his face closer to mine.

"There's no rush" he said rubbing his nose against mine before pressing a sweet kiss to my lips.

* * *

The next two days flew by and before I knew it it was Christmas eve and Jay, Evie, Carlos and I were back at the castle for Christmas. Evie and I got to make cinnamon Christmas ornaments with Mrs. Potts and Belle. They smelled so good. The smell of cinnamon will forever remind me of Christmas now. We also baked cookies again.

We then joined the boys in the theater room where there was a Christmas movie marathon going on apparently. Belle was caught under the mistletoe when she stuck her head in to see if we wanted hot chocolate. Her and Adam shared a sweet brief kiss that I think made Ben feel a little embarrassed. After dinner Belle asked us all to meet in the sitting room.

"Do you know whats up?" I asked Ben.

"Yes. Every Christmas eve we get to open one present. I happen to know what the present is because it is the same thing every year." he said with a smile.

"So what is it?" I asked.

"I'm not telling you. You will just have to wait and find out" he said smirking at me.

We walked in and there was a stack of gifts that all looked exactly the same. Belle handed us each a gift that had our name on it, which was the only difference between them. We all opened them at the same time. We all got pajamas. But not just any pajamas, all our pajamas matched. They were red and green plaid cotton pajama pants with a green long sleeve t-shirt that had our initial in script on the front.

"Christmas jammies" Belle said with a smile clapping her hands together. I smiled. We were included in something that was obviously a family tradition, like we were really apart of the family. I was suddenly feeling emotional. "Now everyone go change into your pajamas and then come back down and we will take a picture" Belle told us. We all headed out.

"So you get pajamas every year?" I asked Ben as we walked up the stairs.

"Yep" he said smiling at me. "I hope you don't think it's too cheesy. Mom was more excited about them this year than I think she has ever been."

"I think it's wonderful" I gave him a watery smile and he pulled me into a hug.

"See you in a little while" he said stepping away from me and heading down the hall to his room to change.

Evie and I walked back into the sitting room together. Everyone else was already there in their pajamas. Belle had us gather together. Belle, Adam, Ben and I all sat on the couch while Evie, Jay and Carlos sat on the floor in front of us. The coffee table that sat in front of the couch had been moved to the side. Lumiere was then tasked with the job of taking the picture.

"Thank you so much for these, Belle" I said to her feeling a little emotional again. She pulled me into a hug. It was like she knew exactly how I felt.

"You're welcome dear" she said pulling back. "Maybe next year you can help me pick them out for everyone" she said smiling at me.

"I would love that" I told her trying to hold back happy tears.

Belle pulled out photo albums of past Christmases. There were pictures of the family throughout the years in their Christmas pajamas. I enjoyed seeing all the pictures of little Ben. There was a particularly cute picture of a five year old Ben holding a robot dinosaur, looking like his life had been made.

"The roboraptor. I was so happy that year. That was what I wanted most" Ben said smiling at the picture. We looked through all the pictures before Adam and Belle declared it was getting late and they were going to head to bed. They warned us not to stay up too late or Santa would never come and we all laughed. I was standing by the fireplace looking at my stocking when Ben came up to me.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked me. I looked up at him. I had so many thoughts going through my mind.

"Will the picture we took of all of us tonight go in a photo album?" I asked him. He smiled at me.

"Knowing my mom, yes. There will be more pictures taken tomorrow too" he said looking at the stockings also.

"Did Audrey ever have a stocking that was hung here?" I asked the question I had wondered about last weekend.

"No" he said looking back at me. "My mom was never that fond of Audrey."

"I noticed that other than the ones of your school Christmas pageant, Audrey wasn't in any of the pictures. Did she not spend any time with you guys for Christmas?" I asked.

"Not really. Audrey spends Christmas in South Riding" he said. I don't know why this information made me feel happy but it did. I felt like even though I hadn't been with Ben for all that long I had shared more with him than Audrey had even though they had known each other their whole lives. And his parents actually like me, which makes me happiest of all.

We all had a hard time falling asleep. This was practically the first real Christmas for the four of us and we were all filled with excitement. Is this what little kids feel like waiting for Santa? We didn't believe in Santa of course but this was the first time we would wake up to gifts under a Christmas tree.

"Mal! Mal, wake up!" Evie was shaking me. I slowly opened my eyes.

"What?" I said letting my body stretch.

"It's Christmas!" Evie squealed. I sat up suddenly, throwing the covers off of me. I noticed the boys were standing in the doorway with excited faces. I looked at the clock it was only seven o'clock. Was that too early to start Christmas?

"Let's go see if anyone is up" I said and we all made our way downstairs to the sitting room. It was empty but there were lots of gifts under the tree now. I turned and smiled at everyone. "Let's go wake Ben up" I said getting more excited by the second.

I led the way up to his room. I didn't bother knocking. I opened the door and like he was the last time I woke him up, he was asleep. He was on his stomach, with one knee drawn up to the side and his covers were pushed practically to the foot of the bed. I had never really checked out Ben's butt before but now that it was practically on display, my eyes were drawn to it and I was kinda wishing everyone wasn't with me. Evie nudged me, knowing where my head must be. I looked at her and saw her smirking. I was glad the boys were behind us.

Well I definitely couldn't wake him up like I did last time so I went with playful. I took a running start and jumped on the bed, jostling him a bit. He didn't wake up though. All he did was grab his pillow pulling it down a little and hugged it. I put my hand on his shoulder and gave him a little shove.

"Ben! It's time to wake up." I said pushing him again. He slowly opened his eyes looking at me and began to roll over, grabbing me and pulling me down against him in a hug. his face in my neck. I pulled up and whisper to him. "We have an audience." We both sat up and Ben looked toward the others and smiled.

"Merry Christmas" he said.

"Merry Christmas" they all said back before running and jumping on the bed with us.

"Is it too early to be up?" Carlos asked. Ben just chuckled as he leaned forward on all fours and reached between Jay and Carlos to grab his shirt that was sitting in the chair at the foot of the bed. I don't know if it was the excitement or what but I felt playful and couldn't help but reach up and smack his butt.

"Hey!" he said sitting back down and looking at me in amused surprise.

"You shouldn't have put it in my face" I teased and everyone laughed. Ben just chuckled and looked over at the clock on the bedside table.

"It's not too early but we will have to wait for my parents" he said pulling on his shirt to my disappointment. "Let's go down to breakfast. If my parents are up that's where they will be" Ben said. We didn't even think about breakfast.

We walked down to the family dining room and Both Belle and Adam were there having breakfast. We all walked in and sat down. Mrs. Potts brought us all out our breakfast and everyone ate in a hurry.

"Slow down you guys. Christmas lasts the whole day you know." Adam chuckled at us.

After breakfast we all practically skipped to the the sitting room. We all started with our stockings which were now full. In my stocking was lots of candy, some new socks, a gift card to the Auradon coffee shop, a new toothbrush, some hair ties and an orange.

My first gift was from Carlos and was a beautiful jewelry box. I received a cute pair of designer sunglasses from Jay. Evie made me a new leather jacket that I loved. Belle got all of us new computers. I thought she had only ordered one for Ben and Adam when we went shopping on Black Friday.

"I figured you could all use a new one for school" she said smiling at all of us.

Adam gave Evie and I gift certificates to the beauty supply store. I loved all my gifts so far. Ben reached over and handed me the gift from him. It was a small rectangular box. I opened it to find a beautiful silver charm bracelet with only a silver number seven charm on it. Seven was his jersey number. I loved it. I turned to him and pressed a brief kiss to his lips. I didn't even care that everyone was there.

"Thank you" I told him letting him put it on my wrist. I handed him the gift I got him. He ripped the paper off and pulled the lid off the box.

"What's all this?" he asked with a smile. I had put together a date box.

"Well we haven't really had a real date since our first date, with you becoming king and all and you said my time was the only gift you wanted, so I put together a date box" I told him. He pulled out a bag of cookies and gave me a questioning look.

"Those are the same cookies I made before our first date" I then leaned over and whispered to him. "They aren't spelled though." He grinned at me and reached in the box again pulling out a coupon book I had made and flipping through them.

"Are these different dates we can go on?" he asked still looking at them. They included things like the movies and dinner or paint your own pottery. "Is there one for another picnic at the lake?" he asked and I smiled and nodded. "What's this?" he asked pulling out another coupon book. I pushed his hand back down so he wouldn't pull it all the way out of the box.

"They're kissing coupons" I said in his ear. He smiled flipping through them.

"Can I cash one in now?" he asked. I shrugged feeling my face flush. Some of the coupons had time limits and some were for make outs. I watched him choose one and he handed it to me. '_One Free Kiss_' it read and I smiled at him leaning in to kiss him. Just a brief sweet kiss.

"Hey none of that" we heard Carlos say to us.

"It was just a kiss. It's not like we were making out or anything" I shot at Carlos. My eyes then went to where Adam and Belle were sitting. I didn't want them to think I was inappropriate or taking advantage of their son. Belle was just grinning while Adam had started opening another gift.

The rest of the day felt lazy as we all sat around and played with our gifts. The boys all got new video games that we all took turns playing. Carlos, being the most tech savvy, set up all of our computers, installing any programs we would need or like. We decided after lunch we would all go sledding again. It was one of the best days I had ever had.

Before we knew it it was time for Christmas dinner. It was a lot like Thanksgiving, only instead of turkey we had ham. I looked around at everyone. This was my family now and I was so happy. Ben turned to me and smiled.

"Merry Christmas Mal"

"Merry Christmas Ben"

* * *

**Mal's birthday and New Years is next.**

**Reviews are love!**


	7. New Years

**Author's Note: So This chapter is beginning to lead into things that happen in D2. More relationship development and Mal's insecurities creeping up. Happy reading!**

* * *

**First New Years Mal's Birthday**

_Ben's POV_

This Christmas was one of the best I had ever had. My relationship was progressing nicely with Mal. She was being more open with me. I hoped she would be able to share more about how she is feeling with me soon. I felt like I was bottling how I felt inside so I wouldn't scare her off. Just then I heard my phone chime with a text. It was from Evie.

_**Hey do you have any plans for Mal's Birthday? **_

I didn't even know when Mal's birthday was. It must be soon if Evie was asking me about it.

_**When is Mal's birthday?**_

This is probably something I should have already known.

_**Saturday. I know it's New Years Eve so I didn't know if you had plans with her or not.**_

I couldn't believe her birthday was the day after tomorrow and she hadn't even told me about it.

_**Mal didn't tell me about her birthday. We are having a date that day though.**_

Now I had to think of something special.

_**That doesn't surprise me.**_

I wondered if Mal didn't like birthdays or if she would care that I know.

_**Do you think it would make her mad if I did something for her birthday?**_

Evie would know how Mal would react.

_**Not if it's something just between the 2 of you but if you plan a party or something that might upset her.**_

Something between us worked for me. Besides there wasn't enough time to arrange a party if I wanted to.

_**I'll keep it low key. Thanks for telling me. I'll see you guys at the New Years party.**_

There was a new years party every year here at the castle. Evie sent back a smiley face emoji and a thumbs up. Now I had to think. What could I get Mal for her birthday?

* * *

It was new years eve and I planned a date using one of the coupon ideas Mal got me for Christmas. I originally wanted to take her to a movie but now that I knew it was her birthday, I wanted to do something more for her. So instead we were going to go to lunch then go to paint pottery at Color Me Mine.

I picked her up and we went to my favorite Italian restaurant and split a plate of chicken alfredo. Sometimes it was easy to talk to Mal but sometimes she was more guarded and it seemed like today was one of those days. She wasn't cold towards me but it just seemed I was doing all the talking.

"So where are we going after this?" she asked.

"Color Me Mine" I told her with a smile.

"So you are using your Christmas present?" she asked with a smile.

"Yep. The cookies are already gone" I told her with a laugh.

"I didn't think they would last long" she chuckled.

We walked into Color Me Mine and looked around at all the different things we could pick to paint. We chose a cup and saucer set deciding she would paint the cup while I painted the saucer. She was very quiet while she worked. Mal was very artistic and I knew the cup was going to be beautiful. The saucer on the other hand might look mismatched with it. She was painting little flowers on the outside of the cup so I just tried to do one big flower in the center of the sauce using the same colors as she used.

When we were done we gave it to the shop keeper to be glazed and we would come back and get it at a later date. Though I wasn't that good of an artist, Mal said she loved the cup and saucer because we did them together.

I asked Mal if she wanted to just go back to the castle since she was going to be coming over for the party anyhow. She said she didn't mind but wanted to stop by her dorm to grab her things to get ready for the party tonight first. She got her things and we made our way to the castle.

"I have something for you" I told Mal as I led her to my bedroom. We sat on the leather loveseat that was in front of my fireplace. I thought with all the activity going on in the castle for the party tonight, this was the best spot for us to have time to talk and I could give her her birthday present. I pulled out two boxes, one much smaller than the other and handed them to her.

"Happy Birthday" I said to her. She looked shocked.

"How did you know?" she asked quietly.

"Evie" I said, looking at her trying to determine if she was upset. "Why didn't you tell me?" I asked her. She shrugged and just stared at the presents in her hands. I reached out and pulled her face up to look at me. "Mal?"

"It's just no big deal and I didn't want anyone to make it a big deal" she said to me.

"Ok. I won't make it a big deal even though I think you being born is kind of a big deal, at least it is to me" I said smiling at her then leaning in and pressing a short kiss to her lips. She smiled back at me. At least she wasn't upset I thought.

"Now open your presents" I told her, nudging her knee with mine. She started with the smaller box first. I watched her eyes widen and she gasped as she pulled out the tiny charm I got to go on her bracelet that I got her for Christmas. It was an amethyst heart.

"It is beautiful Ben!" she said in a breathy voice. I smiled and took it from her to put it on her bracelet that she was wearing.

"Now there is a charm for me and a charm for you" I told her.

She placed the other box on the table in front of us and before I knew it her lips were crushed to mine. Her hands gripping my hair causing my crown to tip. I reached up and pulled it off and put it on the table without taking my lips from hers. I reached around her waist pulling her closer when I felt her mouth open to mine. Letting my tongue taste her. She pulled away slightly taking a breath before she began to drag her lips across my cheek down to my jaw to the sensitive spot where my jaw and neck met. I felt myself begin to react to what she was doing to me. I place my hand on her face and guided her lips back to mine slowing her back down so I would be able to control myself. I found that this was happening more often and I was glad she didn't know. I didn't want her to feel any pressure. We finally broke apart just trying to catch our breath.

"Thank you" she said in a whisper her hand still cupping my face.

"You're welcome" I said to her. "Now open the next one" I said with a smile. I knew she was going to like this one also. She picked the other box back up and flipped open the lid to see some chocolate covered strawberries. She looked up at me grinning. I watched as she pulled one out and took a bite. Watching her made me want to kiss her again. How does she make me feel like this I wondered. As I watched her take another bite I wondered if I made her feel the same way.

"So tell me what you guys would do for New Years on the Isle" I inquired. She gave me a hesitant look.

"What?" I asked.

"It's just that things are different on the Isle and I don't want what you think of me to be tainted by the things I use to do" she said.

"Mal, you know I have strong feelings for you right?" I asked her in a way I thought wasn't too much.

"I do" she said softly.

"Then don't think that the things you did on the Isle will sway me. At this point the only thing you could really do to change things would be to betray me. The things you did in the past are in the past. The choices you make now are the only ones that can affect our relationship. I want to know you" I told her honestly. She stared at me for a moment.

"Ok. Well no one on the Isle had fireworks but we could always see the ones set off over here" she began. "When we were about thirteen Evie, Jay, Carlos and I started a New Years tradition where we would steal beer or wine that would come in at the port and go and sit on the roof of our hide out and drink. It was never enough for us to get drunk or anything but we would be a little buzzed and just hang out and watch the fireworks."

This was interesting to me. It didn't really surprise me though. "Well you will be breaking your tradition tonight I'm afraid, but there is a tradition that you haven't done that you will get to do" I said smirking at her.

"I wasn't the biggest fan of beer anyhow" she said smiling back at me. "What tradition will I get to do tonight?" she asked.

"Well when the clock strikes midnight you share a kiss with someone. It is said that the first person you encounter and the nature of that encounter sets the tone for the rest of the year so everyone kisses their special someone at midnight" I told her. She giggled.

"That is a tradition I can get behind" she said leaning in and pecking my lips.

* * *

_Mal's POV_

After spending the rest of the afternoon with him, I left Ben in his room to get ready for the New Years Party. Ben said that this was a pretty big event and lots of royals and dignitaries often attended. Ben had only been allowed to attend the last couple of years. He was required to attend now that he was king. He and his father were going to be giving toasts.

I wore a dark purple long sleeve velvet top dress with a flowy chiffon skirt. Evie made it and like my dress for coronation, it fit in well with the Auradon style. I thought the dark purple was more me though. I left my hair down and just twisted the sides back to meet in the middle with a jeweled hair clip. I slid on some basic black heals.

I went down to the ballroom when it was time. Ben would be presented with his parents. I am not a member of the court so I couldn't walk in with him. He is king after all. Evie was here somewhere. She texted me to tell me that they were here. I got a few looks as I walked through. There were a lot of people here that I didn't know but I had seen at Ben's coronation. Must be the royals and dignitaries Ben had told me about. I saw Chad talking to what must have been his parents. I bumped into someone while I was people watching.

"Oh Fairy Godmother, I'm so sorry I wasn't watching where I was going" I said as I realized who I bumped into.

"It's quite alright dear" she smiled warmly at me. "You look lovely" she said looking me up and down.

"Thank you so much. As do you" I returned. "Have you seen Evie by any chance?" I asked.

"I just left Jane with them over by the refreshments" She said pointing behind her.

"Thank you" I said as stepped to head that way when she stopped me.

"Mal, have you given any thought to donating your mother's spell book to the museum?" she asked me. I hadn't really thought about it or used it since coronation.

"Honestly I hadn't given it any thought at all. I haven't even looked at it since coronation" I told her honestly.

"It's just a suggestion, but it would be safe in the museum. Just think about it" she said and she turned and walked off. I stood staring in the direction she headed. Did I want to put my spell book in the museum? I just didn't know.

I walked over to where Fairy Godmother told me everyone was and found Evie with Carlos and Jane.

"Hey" I said as I approached. "Where's Jay?" I asked noticing he wasn't with them.

"He went to talk to some of the tourney team guys" Evie said.

"Happy birthday" Carlos said to me.

"It's your birthday?" Jane asked before I was able to say anything.

"Sshhh" I shushed them. "Thank you, but I don't want it to be a thing."

"Ok" Jane and Carlos said at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed.

"So what did you and Ben do today?" Evie asked grinning at me.

"We went to lunch and then went to paint pottery. When we got back here he surprised with a new charm for my bracelet and chocolate covered strawberries" I told them holding up my wrist so they could see my new charm.

"That's so pretty" Jane said.

"Ben is so sweet" I said looking at the charms on my bracelet. Just then we heard a horn blow making everyone go quiet. Then we heard Lumiere announce the arrival of Ben and his parents.

"Please welcome His Majesty King Benjamin along with Queen Belle and King Elder Adam" Lumiere announced. I watched has Ben walked in in his royal blue suit. It wasn't quite as formal as the suit he wore at coronation but he looked just as good. I stepped away to head in Ben's direction. People kept stopping him to say hello. I watched as Queen Leah stopped Ben with Audrey in tow. I knew Ben was just following etiquette when he took Audrey's hand, bowing and placing a kiss on it but it still made my skin crawl. Especially since Audrey looked so pleased.

Again I collided with someone because I wasn't paying attention. I felt hands grip my forearms to steady me so I didn't fall. I looked up to see a boy about my age with dark skin, black hair and brown eyes. He had a very friendly face as he smiled at me.

"I apologize miss" he said as he righted me.

"No it was totally my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going" I said as I waved off his apology. He smiled brightly and I noticed how white his teeth were. He then took my hand and just like Ben did with Audrey. He bowed over my hand placing a kiss on the back of it.

"Prince Aziz of Lone Keep and may I say, you are very beautiful" he said to me still smiling. I knew the name. Prince Aziz was good friends with Ben. He obviously doesn't know I am Ben's girlfriend. I smiled back at him a little taken aback by his compliment. Ben is the only other person who has ever called me beautiful.

"Umm thank you" is all I could think to say.

"So where were you heading? I would be happy to escort you" he said. I smiled again. Ben had told me that he was charming and a flirt.

"I was just headed to talk to Ben" I said smiling back at him.

"Oh, so you are friends with the king?" he asked.

"You could say that" I said with a smirk. Suddenly I felt a hand side across the small of my back. I looked over to see Ben as he pulled me to him.

"Are you flirting with my girl Az?" he asked his friend.

"Ah so you are the lovely Mal. Ben has told me so much about you" he said to me.

"Likewise" I said back.

Ben looked at me and smiled. "Dance with me?" he asked. I nodded and Ben turned back to Prince Aziz. "If you will excuse us." he said to him.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Prince Aziz" I said to him.

"Az please. Any friend of Ben's is a friend of mine. Save me a dance will you?" he said to me.

"Of course" I said and gave him a smile before Ben led me to the dance floor.

Ben pulled me close as a slow song began to play. Because this was not a ball there was a DJ instead of a band. Ben said that this party was less formal than a ball. There hadn't been any balls since we arrived.

"You look amazing" he said in my ear.

"You look very handsome yourself" I said smiling at him. We were quiet for a moment. "Audrey seemed pleased to see you."

I heard him sigh. "Mal I have no intentions of going back to Audrey." He sounded very defensive. I pulled back from him feeling agitated by his tone. Ben and I had never had an argument and I hoped we weren't about to start. "I am king and there are expectations" he said. That was my biggest fear and what all my insecurities revolved around. I knew I didn't fit the 'expectations' society had for a king. There was nothing I could say to this. I felt as if I had been slapped so I just turned and walked away as quickly as I could. Ben tried to follow me but was stopped by someone wanting to talk to him.

I quickly found Evie. I told her what was going on and she was able to help me avoid Ben along with everyone else who stopped him when he would spot me and head my way. I stuck to the edges of the ballroom and was even able to eat while still avoiding Ben. After a couple hours it was time for Ben to give his toast. I listened from a corner of the ballroom as he talked about having a prosperous new year. That is where Az found me when Evie left to go to the restroom.

"Hey Mal," he said stepping up to me. He leaned in like he was about to tell me a secret. "Why are you hiding in a corner?" he asked in a whisper. He catches on fast.

"Avoiding Ben" I said honestly. He raised his eyebrows at me.

"Want to talk about it?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Not particularly" I said.

"Well since you don't want to talk about whats bothering you about that king of ours, how about you dance with me?" he asked holding his hand out and smiling at me. I smiled back at him and took his hand. I needed a distraction.

I saw Ben already on the dance floor with Audrey. He didn't look very happy but I was past caring at the moment. Az made sure we weren't too close to them keeping us on the other side of the dance floor.

An upbeat song was playing and I smiled as Az led me through the dance. I laughed out loud when he had me spin, letting go of my hand to dance to the music. He pulled me back to him and we spun around a few times in a sorta quick step spin. I was having fun dancing with him and all too soon the music came to an end. He once again kissed my hand. I saw Ben headed in my direction again. I wasn't ready to talk to him. Luck was on my side when he was stopped by Belle.

"I think I need some air" I said to Az as I headed in the direction of the terrace. I stepped out. It was pretty warm because there were patio heaters scattered around so that everyone would be comfortable to watch the fireworks. There were a few people on the terrace.

"So Mal, what's bothering you?" Az asked."What did Ben do?" He chuckled at his own question. Az was Ben's friend so I knew I could trust him but I just didn't know him enough to tell him my insecurities. So I went with something that was a half truth.

"I think I'm just letting Audrey get to me" I said to him hoping he would buy this as to why I was upset.

"Ah so jealousy is rearing it's ugly head" he said with a smirk.

"I guess so. I guess I feel like Ben doesn't understand. It's not like there are guys chasing after me" I said. This is something that I thought but it wasn't particularly why I was so upset.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. I can tell you right now that you turn heads. With you being the king's girlfriend, guys aren't going to be obvious about it or make a move for that matter" he said leaning against the stone railing.

"Well be that as it may, it's still hard to watch Audrey throw herself at Ben. Especially because they have history" I responded.

"I think you should talk to Ben. He is a great guy and I don't think he would do anything to hurt you on purpose" Az said and I nodded. "Let's head back in. It's getting closer to midnight and you should ring in the new year with Ben and I need to find someone to kiss" he said and I laughed a little. We headed back in and almost ran right into Ben.

"Hey" he said

"Hey" I said back.

"I'll leave you two to it" Az said and quickly walked away. Ben grabbed my hand.

"Come with me" he said and he led me through the ballroom and out into the hall, through a door and up some back stairs. Next thing I knew we were in the library. The library had a balcony just over the back terrace.

"I'm sorry" Ben said suddenly turning to face me. "I didn't realize how what I said sounded until you walked away. I just meant I can't ignore her at social functions not that I'm expected to be with her. I'm sorry I was so short with you. It's just right when I walked in I just wanted to see you and the first thing I have is Queen Leah throwing Audrey at me going on about how we should be together. I was just so annoyed by it all and then it's practically the first thing you say to me and I ..." he rubbed both of his hands down his face in frustration and began to pace.

"Ben, calm down" I said stepping up to him and grabbed the edges of his blazer to stop him. "I'm sorry too" I said. "I shouldn't let Audrey get to me. It's just hard watching her throw herself at you knowing you guys have history." I didn't want him to stress out about my insecurities of not being good enough so I kept that part to myself.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry for" he said placing his hands around my waist. "You can't help the way you feel. I had a taste of it tonight watching you dance with Az." I gave him a confused look. "I felt crazy jealous watching you dance with him, watching him make you laugh, even though I knew there was nothing going on between you. It should have been me putting a smile on your face not being a jerk to you."

"How about this I'll promise to try to not let Audrey get to me so much and you promise not to take your frustration with her out on me. Deal?" I said to him.

"Deal" he said smiling at me. He leaned in to kiss me but before our lips met we heard the crowd out on the terrace.

"Ten, nine..." Ben pulled me out onto the balcony. "...six, five..." he pulled me close to him and I stared into his eyes "...three, two, one. Happy New Year!" Ben pressed his lips to mine in a passionate kiss. He pulled away slowly and we could hear "Auld Lang Syne" being chorused below us and fireworks began to explode into the air not so far away.

"Happy New Year Mal"

"Happy New Year Ben"

* * *

**Valentines Day is next.**

**Reviews are love!**


	8. Valentines Day

**Author's note: So here is a little Valentines day drama. More relationship building and slow lead up to D2. Also do you guys think I should do a chapter for Ben's birthday? Let me know. Happy reading!**

* * *

**First Valentines Day**

_Mal's POV_

It was Valentines day. I didn't quite understand what this holiday was about. Ben said it was a day to celebrate romance and love. Why was there a day for this? I didn't know if anyone on the Isle celebrated Valentines day. People didn't really show that particular emotion. I'm sure there was some kind of romance going on, children were born there after all.

I knew I loved Ben but how could I tell him when I didn't measure up to what he needed. This was something I was working on. I had to be enough and right now I just didn't feel like I was. I didn't want to lose Ben but I didn't want to lose myself either. I chose good and I chose Ben but did he choose me or who he thinks I can be? I just didn't know.

Since the beginning of the year Ben has been thrust into royal duties and we don't really get to spend much time together. I see him at school but he has no free time outside of school. I miss him. We get to talk almost every night before bed so there's that I guess.

"Penny for your thoughts" Evie said breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Just missing Ben" I told her. I grabbed my bag off my bed so we could head to breakfast before our first class.

"Well it's Valentines day maybe he will have plans for you guys" Evie said trying to raise my spirits. I smiled at her. Ben hadn't said anything about plans for the day. It was a Tuesday so we had regular classes. I opened the door and almost ran right into Ben.

"Hey" I said in surprise.

"Hey" he said back to me as I lifted up and wrapped my arms around him to hug him. He slid both his arms around my waist pulling me tight for a moment.

"I thought I would come and walk you ladies to your first class" he said smiling at us.

"How thoughtful but I was going to have breakfast with Doug" Evie said as she waved and walked down the hall. My eyebrows raised in surprise. This was the first I was hearing about her having breakfast with Doug so I think she was just using it as an excuse to leave me and Ben alone.

I pulled Ben back into my dorm room and closed the door. When I turned around he was right there. He pressed me back against the door claiming my lips hungrily. I couldn't help the moan that escaped me. I hadn't gotten to kiss him like this since new years. My hands clutched the front of his jacket. He pulled his lips from mine dragging them across my jaw to my ear.

"I missed you" he whispered in my ear. I pulled him closer to me bringing his body flush against mine then reached up, cupping his face in both my hands to bring his lips back to mine. I ran my tongue over his bottom lip slowly and he opened his mouth slightly and swept his tongue against mine. I felt like I couldn't kiss him enough. I sucked his bottom lip a bit, nipping it before plunging back in. I felt something hard pressed against me. Just when it dawn on me what was going on Ben took a small step back. My hands fell from his face to his chest as he dropped his head down taking deep breaths.

I didn't say anything. I didn't want him to feel embarrassed. I wasn't sure if he knew I knew but his actions told me he didn't want to acknowledge what was happening.

"Well if you hadn't noticed, I missed you too" I said trying to ease any awkwardness he may be feeling. He chuckled as he looked back up at me. I was still up against the door and he was still standing close to me.

"Do you want to head down to breakfast?" he asked me. I stared at him for a moment. What did I want to do?

"Not really" I said and pressed my lips to his again, kissing him slowly. I felt him smile against my lips and it made me smile too. He pulled away after a moment not letting us get carried away again.

"So how many roses did you buy?" he asked me, stepping away from me and sitting on my bed. For valentines day the marching band was selling different colored roses to be handed out to friends and significant others. We would get our roses in our last class of the day.

"Six" I said smiling at him. He raised his eyebrows at me. "One red and five yellow." The red signified romance while the yellow was for friendship. "How many did you buy?" I asked him.

"Four. I decided not to get roses for the guys. That just seemed weird to me" he said. I thought about who the girls were that he got roses for. Then it hit me. He didn't get a rose for someone. "I also decide not to get Audrey one" he said. It was like he could read my mind.

"Ben you know you could have. I don't want you to not be her friend" I told him.

"It's not that. It's just that I want to discourage her from her pursuit and well even if I got her a yellow rose she would try to turn it into something it's not" he said.

"Well if she gets an anonymous one she may think it's from you anyhow" I told him sitting down next to him. When purchasing your roses you could sign them or send them anonymously.

"I didn't even think about that" he said. I smiled at the cute face he made.

"Well let's just hope if she get an anonymous one it isn't red" I said with a smile.

"Well since we have time before class and you aren't interested in breakfast" he said and leaned over to peck my lips. "I will go ahead and give you your valentines day gift." My eyes widened.

"Ben I didn't know we were suppose to exchange gifts! I didn't get you anything" I told him feeling a little panicked.

"Don't worry about that. I don't need anything. I just like getting you things" he said pulling a little box out of his pocket. It was another charm. "I figured I should give you your first rose on Valentines day" he said as he hooked a silver rose with tiny diamonds lining the stem to my bracelet. "The rose is pretty significant to my family." I held my wrist up and admired my new charm.

"Thank you" I said leaning over and pressing another kiss to his lips.

"Well let's get you to class" he said to me, standing up and holding his hand out for me.

* * *

_Ben's POV_

Magical history was my last class of the day. This was one of the classes that I had with Mal. We walked in together and sat down.

"Now before we start, I'm going to go ahead and hand out all the roses that everyone will be receiving. I will call you up one at a time" Fairy Godmother told us. Audrey was called first and it seemed that none of her roses were anonymous. She read all her tags and sat looking very disappointed. This gave me a bit of relief. I was next and I received two red roses and three yellow. Soon it was Mal's turn and she received the most roses. She got four red and five yellow. I watched as she read the tags. I looked at her. She just shrugged and mouthed the word 'anonymous'. I didn't know how to feel about this.

Mal walked over to me as soon as class was over. I smiled at her. I didn't want her to know that it was bothering me that she got three red roses that weren't from me.

"I'm guessing that the other red rose you got was from Audrey" she said.

"Yep" I said. I hoped she didn't let this get to her.

"Don't worry, I don't care. I knew she would get you one. I almost expected her to make it anonymous" she said to me. I smiled at her.

"Me too. Speaking of anonymous...who do you think all those red roses are from?" I asked her. I hadn't gotten to spend a lot of time with Mal lately so I didn't really know if anyone had taken an interest in her.

"I have no idea" she replied as we walked through the court yard. She looked lost in thought for a moment.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked her. She looked up at me and shrugged.

"Just something Az told me at the new years party." She didn't elaborate so it must be something I wouldn't like.

"And what is it that Az told you?" I asked not really knowing if I wanted to know the answer.

"Well he asked me why I was upset with you that night and I told him that I was just letting Audrey get to me and how hard it is to watch her throw herself at you and I mentioned that guys don't chase after me so you don't feel like I do. Then he told me that I probably do turn heads but guys aren't going to be obvious about it because of you" she finished. I was right I didn't want to know.

"So are you happy to know he was right and there are other guys that want you" I could hear the annoyance in my voice. I could feel myself becoming angry the more I thought about what she just said. She looked at me in shock.

"Ben...It's nothing like that" she said defensively.

"Then what is it like Mal? You just told me you're thinking about how you were told that other guys want you while you are holding roses from other guys!" I seethed. "On top of that I'm learning that you talked to someone else about our problems before talking to me." She just stood there. I was boiling with jealousy and I had to get away so I could think straight.

"I gotta go" I said and I walked away quickly.

* * *

_Mal's POV_

I stood there as Ben walked away. I felt tears prick my eyes. Ben was taking this all wrong. I had no interest in any other guys. As flattering as it was, I didn't need other guys to want me, just Ben and right now it seemed he didn't.

I sat on a stone bench that was a few feet away and pulled out my phone to text Ben.

_**It's not what you think. I don't care if other guys like me. Just you.**_

I sat on the bench for a few minutes but he didn't text back. I felt a tear slip down my cheek as I realized he wasn't going to text me back but I tried one more time.

_**Your rose is the only one I want**_.

I let myself cry for a moment before pulling myself together to head back to my dorm. Ben still hadn't texted me back by the time I got to my dorm. I walked in to find Evie putting her roses in some water. She received one red rose and five yellow.

"Hey, I got a vase for your roses" she said to me with a smile. She picked up the empty vase and went to the bathroom to put water in it. "Judging by all the red roses you have, it looks like someone has some secret admirers" she teased. I didn't say anything. I just put all the roses on the desk for Evie to put in the vase and sat on my bed. How was I going to fix this with Ben.

Evie walked back into the room as I flung myself back on my bed covering my face with my hands. The urge to cry creeping up again.

"Mal, are you ok?" she asked. I wasn't sure what to say. Now that I knew that it had upset Ben that I talked to Az on on new years I didn't know if I should talk to Evie about what was going on. But right now he wasn't talking to me and I felt like I needed to talk to someone. I sat up wiping a stray tear.

"Ben is upset with me" I told her.

"Why?" she asked.

"He asked me if I knew who the roses were from and I said no, but Az had told me on new years that he was sure other guys were interested but wouldn't be obvious about it because of Ben" I explained.

"You said that to Ben?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes. It was the only explanation I could think of for getting the roses. I don't know who they are from and I don't want him thinking that I do. I didn't know it would upset him so much" I said holding back tears. "Now he thinks I like the fact that other guys want me and on top of it he is upset that I talked to Az on new years" I said letting the tears slip down my face.

"Oh man" I heard Evie say. "We didn't realize it would cause such a mess for you and Ben" she said. I didn't know what she was talking about.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"The roses" she said. It took a moment but then is dawned on me.

"The anonymous roses are from you?" I asked in shock.

"Well me and the boys. We thought it would be funny to watch you squirm thinking there was someone who was interested in you. We didn't even think about how this would make Ben feel" she said.

"Evie! Ben is pissed!" I exclaimed.

"We were going to tell you. We just thought it would be fun to tease you for a while. I guess since Ben hasn't been around we didn't even factor him into the situation. I'm so sorry M" she said to me.

I grabbed my phone. I had to let Ben know the roses were from our friends and there was no mystery guys.

_**Hey I just found out the roses came from Evie, Jay, and Carlos.**_

"What are you doing?" Evie asked.

"Texting Ben" I said hitting send on the text. She went to grab her phone also.

"Maybe I should text him too" she said.

"No!" I shouted."I don't want him to be upset anymore than he is that I talked to someone else about what is going on" I told her. She nodded and put her phone back on her bedside table.

"I _am _really sorry" she said turning back to me.

"Yeah well it looks like he still isn't talking to me" I said as I looked at my phone. Ben still wasn't texting me back. "Some Valentines day this has turned out to be" I said sarcastically.

* * *

Evie left to go have Valentines dinner with our friends. I was invited but didn't feel much like being with everyone. I ordered some take out and decided to work on my homework. I was trying not think about my situation with Ben. There was a knock on the door. Finally my food was here. I was hungry. I opened the door to see Ben standing there holding a bag.

"Hey. Uh I ran into the delivery guy so I paid for your food" he said quietly.

"Thanks. You didn't have to" I told him pulling the door open wider to invite him in. He stepped in placing my food down on the table.

"Ben I'm sorry if I made you think I want other guys or whatever" I began not knowing exactly what to say to reassure him. "You're the only guy I want I swear and..."

"Mal" he said stopping me from rambling on. "This is on me this time. I let the thought of other guys wanting you control my emotions. I know I haven't been able to spend any time with you lately" he said sitting in the chair by the table. "I'm sorry" he said running his fingers through his hair. "And I'm sorry I didn't text you back. I just needed time to think."

"The roses weren't even from other guys. Evie and the boys just wanted to mess with me" I told him, trying to explain a bit more. "She said they didn't even think about how it would make you feel." I watched as he nodded his head.

"It does make me feel better knowing where they came from but at first I felt crazy jealous. I can't imagine how you feel watching Audrey flirt with me" he said looking up at me. He grabbed my hand and pulled me down to sit in his lap. My arm going around his shoulders.

"It was worse before you and I talked before Christmas" I told him. He look adorably confused. "When you told me you hadn't been with her or any other girl for that matter. Watching her throw herself at you and thinking the two of you may have...you know...it was just harder" I explained further. Letting my fingers run through his hair at the back of his head near his neck.

"Mal you are the only girl I want" he said looking at my face.

"And you are the only guy I want" I told him. I reached up with my other hand and pulled his crown off and put it on the table before I pushed my lips to his. I had never sat in his lap before and this was a whole new position. I was sitting a little higher than him and it felt like I was in complete control of our kiss like this. I felt the hand that was sitting on my thigh squeeze a bit but he didn't move it. Did I want him to? His other hand was wrapped around me and rested on my side.

He let go of my thigh and brought his hand up to my face. He slowed our kiss down before he pulled his lips from mine and let them tail down the front of my throat. He kissed along my neck to right below my ear. I couldn't stop the soft moan that escaped me. I felt him smile against my skin. He was turning me on and by the bulge I felt against my thigh, he was getting turned on too. He realized how turned on he was and whispered in my ear. "Mal you should probably get up" He said pulling away from me. I shook my head no. Though I wasn't ready to move things on just yet, I did want him to know there was nothing to feel embarrassed about.

"Ben you don't have to be embarrassed by how you react to me" I said to him. He just took a deep breath. "It's natural and to be honest... pretty flattering." I said. He smiled at me. "I'm not really ready to move things on right now but even though you can't tell like I can, you turn me on too" I said trying to alleviate his embarrassment.

"Have I ever told you that you are the best girlfriend ever?" he said to me.

"No but I like hearing it" I said smiling at him. "Would you like to stay and eat with me?"

"Sure" he said. I got up and opened the bag and started pulling out the chinese food I ordered. Ben stood up to help me. He kissed my cheek.

"Happy Valentines day Mal"

"Happy Valentines day Ben"

* * *

**So if you guys want Ben's birthday that chapter will be next. I have already started of the 4th of July chapter (it won't actually be 4th of July though). Please let me know if you want Ben's birthday and I will got started on it.**

**Reviews are love.**


	9. Ben's Birthday

**Author's Note: So this technically isn't a holiday but it is a day that our couple is celebrating so I and a few of you wanted me to include it. This chapter was fun to write once I was able to run with an idea. This entire chapter was written and edited today so please forgive any minor mistakes. I would like to give a big thank you to AmethystDragon14 for the great ideas for this chapter. Happy reading!**

* * *

**Ben's Birthday**

_Mal's POV_

"So what exactly is paintballing?" I asked Ben as we walked out of Magical history together. Ben had told me this morning that he and the guys were going paintballing tomorrow for his birthday. He had already invited me over for his birthday dinner with his parents.

"Well it's a game best played in teams. We all have a paintball gun that shoots different colored paintballs. If you get hit you're out" he said. I thought about it for a moment.

"So you shoot each other with paint?" I asked. I heard him chuckle.

"Essentially, yeah" he said. "Those paintballs hurt sometimes though" he said, knitting his brow and making a cute face. I giggled at him.

"Sounds interesting" I said as we walked up to my dorm room. Ben stopped in front of me and put his hands in his pockets.

"Well we have to find another player now so we will have even teams. Aziz has a royal engagement and can't make it" he said looking a little dejected.

"Who all is going to be playing this game?" I asked him.

"Well it was going to be me, Chad, and Doug on a team against Jay, Carlos and Az but Az is out. So we have to find one more guy so we will have three men per team" he said. An idea stuck me as I leaned against my door. I didn't let on to what I was thinking to Ben.

"Well I'm sure you will find some guy who won't mind getting shot with paintballs" I said to him as I reached up with one hand and grabbed the lapel of his blazer and pulled him closer to me.

"So I won't see you until tomorrow evening?" I asked in a low voice as I ran my hand down his chest over his blazer where my hand had wrinkled it when I pulled him.

"No but I will call you before we leave" he said his face inching closer to mine. He pulled his hands from his pockets and placed them on my waist as he placed his lips against mine. It was a slow kiss that lingered for a moment.

"I'll see you tomorrow" I whispered as we broke apart.

"Yeah" he said as he stepped back from me and I reached for the door knob, opening the door and backing in as he started to make his way down the hall. He turned and smiled at me for a second before rounding the corner.

"When I knew the coast was clear I made my way to Carlos and Jay's dorm and knocked on the door. Jay answered.

"What's up Mal" he said to me as I walked in to their room.

"You're short a guy for paintball tomorrow" I stated.

"Yeah and I'm having no luck finding anyone who can come play" Jay said.

"I can always sit out. I'm not much for getting pelted with things" Carlos said from his bed.

"We need at least three players per team bro" Jay said to Carlos.

"What about me?" I asked.

"What about you?" Jay countered.

"Why don't I play?" I asked and Jay just stared, dumbfounded at me. "Look you need an extra person and I need to let off some pent up energy I've been feeling lately. Plus it would be a fun surprise for Ben." Jay didn't say anything for a while. Thinking it over.

"So let me get this straight. You want to play paintball with five guys?" he asked and I nodded. "And you want it to be a surprise for Ben. How is that going to work?" he asked.

"Well you can text him and tell him you found a third player for your team and we can get there early and suit up or whatever but I will have to come up with a way to hide my face" I said thinking about it. I heard Jay chuckle.

"No worries there. You have to wear a helmet with a mask over it, so your face will be hidden" he said. That was perfect.

"Ok I have to figure out what to wear. I don't want Ben to know its me right away, so purple is out. Any ideas?" I asked him.

"Well we are going in all black. I'm sure something of Carlos' will fit you. Maybe something a little baggy so you don't look quite so..." he trailed off not finishing his sentence.

"Quite so what?" I questioned putting my hands on my hips.

"Mal you have a very...uh... feminine shape" he said awkwardly.

"Oh" I said looking down at myself. I mean I wasn't overly busty but I guess I did have hips and a butt that could give me away as being a girl rather than the straight lines guys had. "Baggy would be good" I said as I turned and looked at Carlos. He dug through his closet for a minute before pulling out a black long sleeve shirt and some black cargo pants that had elastic at the ankles.

I looked over at Jay and he was texting. "Ok so I just texted Ben to let him know we have a third" Jay said smiling at me. "Mal are you sure about this? Getting hit with paintballs can hurt."

"I don't plan on getting hit" I said smirking at them. "What time are we heading out?" I asked.

"We are suppose to meet up at ten but if we are getting there early we will have to head over early. Lets meet here at nine fifteen and we can all head over" Carlos said.

I smiled. I loved the feeling I was getting. It was like it was on the Isle when we were planning schemes. A thrill I hadn't felt in a while. Of course I was feeling new types of thrills these days.

"Ok well I guess I will see you guys in the morning" I said as I turned to leave.

"Mal wait!" Jay called out to me. I turned back to them. "Who do we say you are?" he asked.

"Um...a new student" I said pointing. "From East Riding."

"What should your name be?" Carlos asked.

"Just a random guy name I guess" I said with a shrug.

"George" Jay said. "You know since King George Town is in East Riding."

"OK George it is" I said smiling at them before I walked out with a huge smile on my face. I couldn't wait to surprise Ben tomorrow.

* * *

The boys and I got to the paintball place a little after nine thirty. I looked around while Jay and Carlos got all the gear we would be needing. There were so many different colors of paintballs to choose from. Jay walked up to me carrying a helmet and vest. The vest wasn't a necessity but it made is easier to hide that I was a girl and it provided a place to put extra paintballs.

"We're going with Ben's colors, so they will have blue paintballs and we will have yellow" Jay said handing me a bag of yellow paintballs. He then picked up the paintball gun and showed me how to load the paintballs and fire. I got another idea.

"Jay can you get me a few purple paintballs?" I asked him.

"Sure but that will be a giveaway" he said giving me a confused look. I smiled at him.

"OK so hear's my plan" I said as I motioned for Carlos to join us. "You two take out Chad and Doug but leave Ben to me. If for some reason I get taken out before him then go ahead and get him. If my plan works I want him to be the last man on his team still standing. We will bait him until he runs out of paintballs then I will load with purple paintballs to shoot him with as a fun reveal" I said smiling at them.

"That sounds awesome but what if you do get out before him? How are you going to reveal to him that it's you?" Carlos asked.

"Well I will just shoot him when the game is over and he is heading back" I said.

"If I didn't know better I would think you just want to shoot him" Jay said with a smirk.

"Maybe" I said with a shrug before we all began to laugh. Just then my phone rang.

"It's Ben. Not a word" I said pointing at the boys.

"Hey you. Happy Birthday!" I said in a flirty voice and I could see Jay trying to hold in his laughter.

"Hey. Thanks. I just wanted to call you before I headed out to the paintball field" he said.

"Oh. Have you left yet?" I asked him wondering if he was on his way.

"I just left. I told Chad I would pick him up. Hang on a sec I'm getting a text" he said and it was quiet for a bit before he was back. "That was just Doug saying he just left and will meet us there. I hope Jay and Carlos aren't late."

"I'm sure they will be there on time" I said in a reassuring way while I motioned and mouthed for Jay to text Ben and let him know he was here and waiting. He pulled out his phone and started typing.

"So did you guys find another player?" I asked keeping up with my scheme.

"Yeah Jay said it's some new guy, George. I haven't met him though. Have you?" he asked me.

"Not officially but I saw Jay with some new guy the other day and when I asked him about him he said he was new. From East Riding or something. He is a pretty small guy" I said making up a story to make things more believable since I wasn't as big as the guys.

"He will probably be hard to take out. Being small he will be able to hide better. Probably why Jay asked him to be on their team. Jay is good with strategy" Ben said with a sigh.

"I'm sure you will win. You're pretty fast" I heard him chuckle.

"Thanks babe. Well I'm gonna let you go. I'm pulling up to Chad's now" He said.

"OK. Be safe and I will see you this evening" I said.

"OK bye" he said

"Bye" I ended the call and looked up at the boys with a smile.

"Everyone is on their way" I said.

"Well let's suit you up then George" Jay said to me with a smile. We got our vest on and we had to tie a yellow strap around the top of one arm so we would be able to know whose team we were on. Jay put a handful of purple paintballs in my vest and told me to discharge my gun a couple of times before loading to let out any remaining yellow balls. I tied my hair up and pulled my helmet on just in time.

Ben walked in with both Chad and Doug, spotting us.

"You guys ready for a smack down?" he asked smiling. I never took Ben for trash talk but I think I liked it.

"In your dreams your highness" Jay said sarcastically.

"Looks like your new friend is ready to go" Ben said looking at me. "Hey I'm Ben" he said reaching out to shake my hand. Luckily I was wearing a pair of black leather gloves. I took his hand and gave it a firm shake like I thought a guy would. I didn't say anything. I felt Jay slap me on the back.

"George isn't a big talker" Jay said to try to explain my silence. "Grab your gear, let's get this show on the road" Jay said moving things along. They got all their things and we headed outside to the enclosed paintball course. It basically looked like some woods only it had a fenced in boarder and there were large barrels scattered between the trees.

We won the coin toss so we got to head in five minutes before Ben's team. This was a huge advantage as we could hide and watch them enter. There were radios in our helmets so Jay, Carlos and I could all talk to each other. I found a hiding spot about midway in and I saw all three of them enter the woods and split up. Chad walked right by me without seeing me heading in the direction I knew Jay was in. When he was far enough from me I radioed Jay and gave him the heads up to take him out.

My hiding spot was so good that I decided to just hunker down and stay there until Chad and Doug were taken out. I had a good vantage point. Jay wasn't able to tag Chad and it was a while before any real action happened. Carlos and Doug managed to tag each other at the same time so they were the first ones out.

I hadn't seen Ben since he walked in and I wondered if he was hiding like me. I saw Chad heading back in my direction. He still didn't see me and as soon as he passed I was able to take a shot and hit him right in the middle of his back. I ducked back down quickly so he didn't even know who got him out.

"Ah man!" he said throwing his hands in the air. I heard him radio Ben.

"Your on your own dude. I have no idea who even got me" he said.

"No man. I don't see anyone" he must be responding to something Ben said. I smiled to myself. "They must of taken off fast" he told Ben as he left. I smiled. I heard Jay in my radio.

"Nice hit. I can see Ben. I will bait him for a while and try to get him to use up his paintballs. He wasted a few on me a little while ago" he said. I could hear the clicks of a paintball gun going off and I knew it was Ben's because Jay knew not to shoot him. We all had thirty rounds to spend so I began counting. I counted twelve more shots over the next thirty minutes.

"He's gotta be running low by now" I said to Jay through the radio. I decided now would be a good time to switch my paintballs. I opened the cap on the compartment that the paintballs went in, Jay told me what it was called but I couldn't remember, and dumped my yellow paintballs out and loaded in the purple ones. I shot at a nearby tree. The first shot was yellow so I shot again and saw that it was now purple.

"He heard your gun. He's headed your way. I'm gonna follow and see if he will take another shot at me" I heard Jay in my helmet. I could now hear foot steps close by. I heard a second set moving fast and then Ben fired.

"He got me. I'm out" Jay said. I didn't say anything because I didn't know how close Ben was. I heard Ben call out.

"It's just you and me George" he said. "Come out come out wherever you are" he taunted. I knew he was pretty close but not too close. I chanced a look and was just able to see him ducking down between two barrels about thirty feet away. I knew I would have to let him see me if I wanted him to fire again. There was a huge tree about fifteen feet to my left. I made a run for it. I heard his paintball gun go off but nothing hit me.

"Damn" I heard Ben say. I smiled to myself. I peeked around the tree to see him checking his _hopper_, that's what it was called I thought. He was out of paintballs. My plan had worked. I left the shelter of my tree and watched as he stood up.

"Take your shot" he said putting his hands up. I only shot once. I didn't want to actually hurt him. He did wince a bit when my purple paintball exploded where his left peck was. I watched as he pulled off his helmet, his hair wet with sweat. He looked at where he had been shot and looked back up at me with a confused face.

I slowly walked toward him and pulled my helmet off, revealing myself to him. He looked completely shocked.

"Mal?" he said. I just grinned at him, so happy I was able to fool him.

"That was so much fun" I said with a smile plastered to my face.

"So let me get this straight. There is no new guy named George?" he asked me and I shook my head no. "I can't believe you were able to trick me like this" he said with a smile stepping closer to me. He looked me up and down before he laughed.

"What?" I asked.

"I should have figured it out. What guy could be that small?" he stated and I laughed too.

I reached up and touched the purple stain where I had shot him.

"I'm pretty sure you left a mark" he said. He then reached down and grabbed the edge of his black t-shirt and pulled it up to check. There was a vivid red welt that was starting to turn purple on his chest just off center. Without thinking I leaned forward and pressed my lips softly to the spot. I felt Ben shiver. As I pulled back, I felt Ben release his shirt and cup my face in both hands pressing his lips to mine. He sucked on my bottom lip before he swept his tongue across mine. I went to place my hands on his sides and one hand felt his warm skin where his shirt didn't fall all the way down. The feeling of his kin made me hungry to feel more. I pulled his shirt up slightly with my other hand so that both of my hands were touching his bare skin. I ran my hands up his side and around to his back. He groaned against my lips.

He pulled away as if it was the hardest thing he had to do. He was panting as he just stared into my eyes.

"Mal, you have no idea what you do to me" he said trying to catch his breath.

"I think I have an idea" I said, my fingers still moving across his skin.

"We should go meet up with the others so you can brag about your win" he said smiling at me and I let my hands fall from him as he stepped back and we picked up our paintball guns and helmets after we were able to compose ourselves.

"So was this a good surprise?" I asked him.

"Yes" he said smiling at me as we walked back inside.

"Did you get him" Jay said walking up to us.

"See for yourself" I said pointing to the purple stain on Ben's shirt.

"So we win!" Jay said as he high fived Carlos.

"So Chad how does it feel to get beat by a girl" Jay teased him.

"But... what... wait where's George?" Chad asked looking thoroughly confused.

"There was no George. It was actually Mal" Carlos explained but Chad still looked confused.

"How does your back feel?" I asked him trying not to laugh.

"Wait...You're the one who shot me?" Chad asked and I nodded and couldn't help but laugh.

"You were a pretty easy target and I had a good hiding spot" I said when I managed to stop laughing. " Tagging you has got to be the best part of my day so far...well second best" I said as I looked up at Ben and winked.

"I don't know about you boys but I need to shower. I have a dinner to attend tonight" I said and we all turned our equipment back in and made our way home.

* * *

_Ben's POV_

I took Mal back to her dorm after we all stopped for some burgers for lunch. I just got home and was getting in the shower. I still couldn't believe Mal was able to fool me and she managed to win the paintball match to boot. It was an unexpected surprise. I was just glad she didn't get hit with any paintballs.

I looked down at where she shot me. It was a red spot that had a purple ring around it now. The sight of it reminded me of Mal's lips pressed against my skin. I finished my shower the same way I had since my coronation.

I felt more relaxed as I made my way downstairs to talk to my parents. Mal would be here within the hour and the four of us were going to have a quiet dinner.

"Hey son! How was paintballing?" my dad asked as I walked into the sitting room where he was working on his laptop while my mom was curled up in one of the arm chairs reading a book.

"It was great. My team lost though" I told him. "Mal surprised me today" I said with a grin.

"How so?" my mom asked looking up from her book.

"Well we were short a player and with Carlos and Jay's help she pretended to be a new student that Jay was friends with so that she could play. After everyone else was out and it was just me and her I ran out of paintballs and she was able to tag me. Of course I still didn't know it was her. I'm glad I ran out of ammo so I wasn't able to shoot her" I said.

"And why is that dear?" my mom asked. I just lifted my shirt to show her where I got hit.

"It would probably be worse on her and I would feel so guilty if I did that to her" I told her.

"Well I'm glad you ran out too then" mom replied.

"So do you still want to ask Mal if she wants to be your Lady of the Court?" my dad asked me, looking back up from his computer. "If so we will have to get the ball rolling soon so that you two can start a royal tour this summer" he said to me.

"Yes. I figured we could ask her tonight" I told them. We discussed it for a little while longer before Mal showed up and we all went into the family dinning room for dinner.

"So Mal, we heard you kicked Ben's butt at paintball today" my dad said to her. Making conversation as we began to eat.

"Well I did have a strategy that paid off in the end" she said smiling at me. We made small talk for a few more minutes before it felt like the right time to talk to Mal about becoming my lady.

"Mal there is something I would like to talk to you about...well ask you really" I began. I looked over at her and she look a little scared. I reached under the table and grabbed her hand giving it a squeeze to reassure her. "I have discussed it with my parents and I hoped that maybe you would become my Lady of the court?" I phrased it like a question.

"Um...I'm not sure I understand." she said confused.

"Well there would be a cotillion in your honor, which is an event similar to a ball but more for our age group. You would be presented to society as my Lady. Then you would be able to attend functions with me, on my arm and the public would then address you as Lady Mal" I said.

"Well we have been together for a while and I would like to get to go to events with you. If this is the next step then I guess I must take it right" she said her mouth turning up slightly into a smile. I knew this might be overwhelming her at the moment.

"I have a book for you that will tell you all you will need to know to prepare to become a lady of the court" my mom said smiling at her fondly.

Just then the lights went out and Mrs. Potts came in carrying a birthday cake as everyone began to sing Happy Birthday and she placed the cake in front of me. The song ended and I took a deep breath and blew out all the candles and looked at Mal hoping that my wish would come true.

After cake we made our way back to the sitting room so that I could open the gifts that they had gotten me. I had already gotten many cards from other members of the council and citizens of Auradon. Most contained cash which would be donated to charity. From my parents I received a nintendo switch and from Mal I received three new games for it.

"We coordinated" Mal said with a smile.

Thanks guys" I said giving all of them hugs.

Soon it was time for Mal to head back to her dorm. She has never been late for curfew and I didn't want to be the cause of her getting into any trouble because we knew Fairy Godmother had a thing about curfews.

"I hope you like your gifts" she said as we walked up to her door.

"I do" I said to her. "The best thing I got today was you agreeing to be my Lady of the Court though" I said smiling at her as I grabbed her waist and pulled her close to me. She smiled at me as she placed her hands against my chest. I felt the soreness from where I was shot today and my mind went right back to her kissing me there. I leaned down and kissed her. It was a sweet kiss. I didn't want to get carried away in the dorm hall and with the way she has been making me feel today I knew I easily could.

"I should probably go" I said to her.

"Yeah" she said.

"Goodnight Mal."

"Happy birthday Ben."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. My take on 4th of July is next. Thank you for reading!**

**Reviews are love!**


	10. Freedom Day

**Authors Note: So this day I mirrored after the 4th of July though I feel like it probably takes place somewhere in mid August. This is diving a bit more toward where D2 picks up. There will be one more chapter after this that will round off their first year of holidays. I still haven't decided if I'm going to continue into the next couple years of holidays. What do you guys think? For now here is some Bal fluff. Happy reading!**

* * *

**Freedom Day**

_Mal's POV_

It was the end of summer and Freedom day was tomorrow. This was a day we didn't celebrate on the Isle, though some had reason to. This was the day that the villains were sent to the Isle. It was also the day several villains, like my mother, were brought back to life, to live a life exiled on the Isle. Ben pointed out that without this day I wouldn't exist. He had a point. I also had to remember that it wasn't anyone's fault that we were born on the Isle and I just focused on the fact that Ben thought to start to change that circumstance.

To say I was struggling was an understatement. Ben and his parents asked me if I would like to be presented as Ben's Lady of the Court this fall. I wasn't sure what it all meant. Ben just explained that it presented me to society as the one he is with and that there will be a cotillion in my honor. This also meant I was to attend functions with Ben. To my surprise that started this summer and not after I was to be presented. I was trying my best to be what everyone expected me to be as the lady on the kings arm.

I toned down my wardrobe, going for a more mainstream Auradon look. I liked it well enough. I also changed my hair. Now that it was longer I went with blond but kept the ends purple. Ben wasn't a huge fan of it at first but I think it grew on him.

Now that I was attending dinners and functions with Ben, the media had begun to hound me a bit. Belle had given me a book about becoming a lady of the court. It was basically a book about etiquette but it also discussed the ways to handle the press and what was expected as a lady of the court. I hadn't had a chance to read much of it and I knew I needed to read it before cotillion. I just hoped I didn't embarrass Ben.

We have been on a tour of the kingdom. Dining with all the royals and dignitaries. Luckily I had Evie making my wardrobe for these functions as most of them were televised. Right now we were home so Ben could oversee the Freedom Day festivities. There was a parade and fireworks. I had mixed emotions about this holiday. As did Evie, Jay, and Carlos. I guess Evie and I actually had something to celebrate, since both of our mother's were brought back on this day. Carlos was pretty neutral about it. Jay on the other hand didn't want to celebrate at all and I understood why. His father was stripped of his genie powers and had to live on the Isle as a mortal. Even if he came to Auradon he wouldn't have powers because his powers came from a wish. I mean at least he wasn't crammed into a lamp anymore.

I was sitting on my bed looking through my mothers spell book. So far I had only used it to change my hair. I heard a knock on my dorm room door. I quickly put the spell book in my bedside table drawer and got up to open the door. I was surprised to see Ben standing there.

"Hey" I said. "I thought you had a meeting." Luckily I did not have to go to those with him...yet. I opened the door wider, letting him in.

"Done. I found that I had some extra time and wanted to see if you would like to go to the Enchanted Lake with me. I could teach you how to swim." he said with a half smile, looking me up and down. I looked down at what I was wearing. I wasn't expecting to see him or anyone really outside of Evie that day, so all I had on was Ben's jersey that he threw to me the day he sang to me while under the love spell, and a pair of cotton shorts. He stepped past me into the room, turning toward me after I closed the door.

He reached out and grabbed the middle of the jersey pulling me toward him.

"I like this" he flirted, referring to me wearing his jersey before pressing his lips to mine for a sweet kiss that didn't linger as long as I would have liked.

"I like wearing it" I told him, which was true. It was very comfy. I looked at what he was wearing. He was more casual than normal in a pair of navy shorts with a light blue and navy striped cotton shirt. "I would love to go to the lake. Just let me get ready." I went to my drawers and grabbed some clothes including my suit and went to the bathroom to change.

* * *

Just like on our first date we rode Ben's scooter to the lake. Even though it was summer people didn't really come out to the Enchanted Lake to swim. It was easier to swim at Crescent Lake considering you didn't have to take a wooded trail to get to it. So we had the lake to ourselves.

"I can't believe we haven't been back here since our first date" I said looking around. It was so beautiful out here. I would easily say this is my favorite spot in Auradon. Ben spread a blanket out just like last time and we sat together. He also brought snacks which included strawberries. I smiled at him.

"I love it here" he said looking out at the water. I looked back out at the water too, my eyes falling on the spot Ben had jumped from that day and I began to wonder about something.

"What did it feel like?" I asked him. He pulled his brows together.

"What did what feel like?" he asked, turning his gaze to me. I turned back to him. I hoped this wasn't going to turn into something bad, but I was so curious.

"My spell washing off" I said softly. I watched as he turned his head to look at the spot where he had jumped.

"The same just more personal. Like I knew I had been spelled because all of the sudden I felt like warm water had been dumped on me and I started to feel like I didn't want to tell everybody who would listen how I was feeling about you anymore but I was still feeling those things. I was mad at first that you would spell me at all, but then when you thought you had to save me even though you couldn't swim, my anger just washed away and I was just feeling apprehensive I guess" he said. He looked at me. Just staring into my eyes.

I wanted so badly to tell him I loved him in that moment, but my insecurities had my tongue tied. I did the next best thing. I reached my hand up turning his face to me and kissing him slowly. Pouring my love into the kiss hoping he could feel it. After a moment he pulled back and smiled at me.

"Let me teach you how to swim" he said. He stood up pulling me to my feet. I watched as he pulled his shirt up over his head. My eyes were glued to him. He moved on to unbuttoning his pants. I had to close my eyes and take a deep breath. He was undeniably sexy and it was affecting me.

"Mal" I heard him call to me and I opened my eyes. He was standing there in royal blue board shorts with yellow stripes down the sides. He had a smirk on his face. "Did you wear your bathing suit?" he asked because I hadn't taken my clothes off yet. I nodded and pulled my shirt off over my head. I noticed Ben staring at me with his mouth slightly open. I smiled knowing his head was in the same place as mine. Like him, I unbuttoned my shorts and took them off. I wore a magenta monokini. The top attaching to the bottoms with three rings on the front.

Ben turned quickly and jumped into the water. He swam a distance away before coming up and turning to look at me. He smiled and then slowly swam back. He stood, the water only coming up just below his knees.

He reached his hand up to me to help me step into the lake. The stones were smooth on the bottoms of my feet. Ben began to move us deeper into the lake. I thought I would be nervous but I wasn't. I knew I was safe with Ben. He stopped us when the water was up to my chest.

"I'm going to let go of your hands now" he said, as we stood still. "You should probably get use to having your face in the water and holding your breath" he said. "So we will start with going under water and seeing how long you can stay under for. You can open your eyes under the water if you want to but it will feel weird at first." he told me and I nodded. "Ok, on the count of three. One, two, three" I took a deep breath, holding it in as I sank under the water. I opened my eyes, blinking a few times. The water was crystal clear. I looked at Ben under the water and he gave me a small smile, not opening his mouth. I felt my lungs start to beg for air and bubbles escaped my nose as I pushed myself back up and out of the water.

I gasped for air and wiped the water from my eyes. Ben came up just after me. "Good. That was really good" he said with an encouraging smile. "Was that ok or did you feel panicked?" he asked.

"It was fine" I answered.

"Ok then we will move on. This next part you are going to have to trust me on" he said. "Now you have to learn to float on your back" he told me and I lifted my eyebrows at him. He smiled. "Trust me I won't let you sink." He came to stand behind me. "Now my best tips are to tilt your head back and push your hips upward" he said to me.

"Head back, hips up, got it" I said. I heard him chuckle.

"Ok, I'm going to hold your shoulders and you can lean back like you're laying down" he said right next to my ear before kissing my cheek. I leaned back and pushed my feet off the bottom, pulling them toward the surface. It felt like my butt just wanted to sink and I kept bending at the waist. Ben kept my head from going under by keeping his hands on the back of my shoulders. "Remember, hips up" he said. I use my core muscles to push my hips upward and my belly finally broke the surface of the water. I tipped my head back a little, which made my ears go under the water but it made it easier to keep my body up.

I felt the pressure of Ben's hands ease. He was still touching me but he wasn't holding me up anymore. He moved around to the side of me his hands sliding down my back. He now had one hand in the center of my back while the other went to the back of my knee. The contact on the back of my knee tickled and I dropped my hips immediately in reaction. Ben kept my head up but I dropped my feet to the bottom as I laughed.

"Sorry" I said giggling. "That tickled." He laughed a little.

We were just looking at each other as we stood there and all I could think about in that moment was kissing him. I reached up to him placing my hand behind his neck pulling his lips to mine. It was a slow kiss. This felt more intimate than any kiss we have ever shared. Feeling his skin against me, his hands on the bare skin of my back, was doing things to me. Ben slid his lips to my neck peppering the side in soft kisses. I was panting. I brought his lips back to mine and kissed him hungrily. Sucking his bottom lip hard then nipping it softly. I let my tongue soothe it. Ben pulled back and I pressed my lips to his neck. Kissing down to where his neck met his shoulder.

"Mal" I heard him say my name, his voice husky. "Mal, baby slow down" he said cupping my face to stop me. I couldn't believe how caught up I got. I took a deep breath and looked at his face. He had an amused smile on his face.

"Sorry" I said.

"Nothing to be sorry for. We don't get a lot of alone time so it's easy to get carried away. I feel it too" he said to me.

"Yeah, no time to just be us" I said back to him. "Speaking of which, how are plans for tomorrows Freedom Day festivities coming along?" I asked trying to take my mind off how he was making feel.

"Well that is something that I needed to talk to you about actually. As king I have to ride on the front car in the parade and I wasn't sure if you wanted to ride with me. I know you have mixed feeling about Freedom Day so you don't have to if you don't want to" he said to me, his hands stroking up and down my sides in the water. His fingers stroking my bare skin was doing nothing for taking my mind off inappropriate thoughts. I reached down grabbing his wrists to still his movements.

"I can't think when you are doing that" I said. He chuckled and held his hands still.

"I will ride with you if that's what you want. I guess at this point it would look bad if I didn't right." I stated placing my hands on his chest."Besides it's not like your parents locked me on the Isle all those years ago. They didn't know I was going to be born, and it's like you said, without that day my mother wouldn't have been brought back and I wouldn't be here" I said smiling at him. I stepped closer to him my hands drifting to his sides. "Thanks to you I no longer have to pay for my mother's evil ways" I said softly as I slowly kissed him again. To my dismay he pulled back again.

"I for one am glad you are here, which has given Freedom Day a whole new meaning for me" he said sweetly.

We played in the water for a little while longer. Ben taught me how to tread water. It turns out swimming was coming naturally to me, when I wasn't panicked that he was drowning that is.

"So do I have to wear something specific?" I asked as we were drying off and putting our clothes back on.

"It's not formal but it's not casual, and it should be something in the Freedom Day colors of blue, yellow, or white" he said to me. I thought for a minute. There wasn't enough time for a new dress. I knew I could always borrow a blue dress from Evie but Ben always wore blue. We would clash horribly.

"I think I may have a white dress that will work" I said pulling my shirt over my head.

"Well if you don't I'm sure my mom would have something you could wear" he told me.

* * *

_Ben's POV_

It was Freedom Day. In the past this was just a fun day for picnics and barbecues and the awesome fireworks show to celebrate Auradon's freedom from villains. This year it had more significance for me.

I looked at the picture of me and Mal from Christmas I had on my desk. If it wasn't for the decision my parents made on this day more than twenty years ago, Mal wouldn't even exist. No one would have ever have figured that the villains would create a new way of living, which included starting families, but at this moment I'm glad they did.

Mal had changed so much lately. I didn't know how to tell her that she should be herself when everyone else was feeding her all the ways to be a proper lady of the court. I fell in love with Mal from the Isle, and even though I love the Auradon version of Mal, she just didn't seem the same. She seemed to be handling it well enough though. I thought for sure the media pressure would have her running for the hills. Maybe I could talk to her after cotillion, when the pressure dies down for us.

Mal should be here soon and we will head to Auradon City Center where the parade will begin. It will end at Auradon Prep where there is a huge cook-out on the back lawn and we will watch the fireworks over the sea. Just then my mom knocked on the door before walking in. I stood and walked toward her.

"Hi, sweetheart. I came to tell you that Mal is here and waiting in the front hall" she said as she ran her hands across my shoulders like she was wiping away some invisible dust or something. "She looks lovely" she smiled warmly at me. Her face made me wonder if maybe Mal went ahead and chose to wear something purple, defying tradition. I kinda hoped she did. I missed her flare.

"Thanks mom" I said as we headed out to the front hall. Mal was standing there in a white dress. It was very much an Auradon dress. It did have a slight iridescent shine that gave it a little purple color, but it wasn't quite what I was hoping to find.

"Hey" I said getting her attention. She turned to me and smiled. She dipped in a small curtsy. I walked up to her and took her hand pulling her towards me. I leaned close to her ear.

"You don't have to do that when we are at home" I told her. Even though we had quite the audience in the front hall, with footmen, Lumiere, Cogsworth, Fairy Godmother, and my parents, I didn't want her to feel she had to conform here.

"This isn't my home" she said simply.

"I would like you to feel as if it is. Besides we aren't in public" I told her. I felt as if she was trying to put some space between us. I looked at her face intently but it gave nothing away. She smiled, trying to alleviate this awkward moment I'm sure. "Well let's go" I said. I didn't let go of Mal's hand. I felt like we needed some kind of physical contact. She still struggled with telling me how she feels but it seemed she had no problem showing me how she feels physically.

We climbed into the the back of the blue Chevy Camaro convertible. My parents were riding in a second convertible behind us. As we began to drive away I looked over at Mal. I had to close the distance I was feeling between us.

"Hey" I said and she looked at me. I looked in her eyes for a brief moment before I let my eyes fall to her lips. She instinctually licked her lips and I just had to kiss her. I pushed my lips to hers, bringing my hand up to cup her face. She responded like I knew she would. She had her wits about her today however. As I went to deepen the kiss she pulled back.

"Ben" she said taking a deep breath. "We are in a convertible. Anyone can see us." She looked back to the car behind us then around at our surroundings. She got a lot stricter with PDA after accepting to be my lady of the court. It was to the point that she wouldn't even kiss me in front of our friends anymore. If it wasn't for the few private moments we get together, like yesterday, it would be like things were with Audrey.

I held her hand the whole way through the parade. My only thought was that I hoped she didn't mind how sweaty our hands were getting because I didn't want to let her go. She waved and smiled as the people of Auradon waved back. The people loved her, especially the children. We past a few who had on purple wigs and waved excitedly when they saw her.

* * *

We arrived at Auradon Prep about an hour later, pulling up out front. Our friends were there waiting for us. We spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out with our friends when we weren't being pulled here and there with everyone wanting to talk to us. I don't think I have gotten to speak more than five words to Mal since we got here.

Right now I was stuck talking to Queen Leah again. Now that she had me on her own she was going on about how I shouldn't count Audrey out just because she was away with Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather. "Ben, just think how much better it would be if you presented an actual princess as your lady of the court. It is what everyone has always expected" she was saying. I saw Mal out of the corner of my eye. She must have heard what Queen Leah had just said, because she suddenly stopped in her tracks before walking in the other direction. I left Queen Leah standing there and went after her.

I easily caught up with her, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the wooded area along side the back lawn of the school. I stopped when I knew were were out of ear shot of the crowd. It was getting darker so I knew we wouldn't be seen.

"It's not what you think" I said looking down at her. She didn't look at me. She just looked down as she fidgeted with my singlet ring on her finger for a moment. I reached out and touched her face. "Mal" I said almost like a plea and she finally looked up at me. She took a deep breath like she was trying to calm herself.

"I know Ben. It's just hard to hear the same thing all the time" she said in a low voice.

"I don't want Audrey. You're the one I have chosen to be my lady" I said grabbing her waist.

"I know" she said simply as she placed her hands on my chest. I had the overwhelming urge to kiss her, but would she pull away again? She must have been feeling the same way because I felt one of her hands slide up to the back of my neck and she pulled my face to hers. I kissed her passionately pushing her against the tree that was behind her, trying to get closer to her. Her hand clutched my hair while her other hand slid to my side under my blazer pulling my body to hers. Her mouth opening under mine. I swept my tongue against hers and heard her let out a quiet moan. She didn't know what she did to me, or maybe at this point she did.

I wanted this moment with her. We barely got time like this together. We were in public but we both knew we couldn't be seen, so I was going to take advantage of this time. I let my lips slide down the column of her neck, grateful she wasn't wearing a necklace. My hands itched to touch her in more intimate ways but I didn't want to push her, so I just let them run up and down her sides and around the small of her back. I brought my lips back to hers. Trying to tell her I loved her with my kiss.

"Maallll" we heard Evie call out, obviously looking for her. I pulled back. We were both breathing hard. Her hand slipped from my neck to my face as I leaned my forehead against hers. Neither of us let the other go.

"I think I need a moment" I told her and I heard her giggle. I looked up at her face and there was my Mal. I couldn't help but push my lips to hers again. It was a soft slow kiss that ended when we heard Evie call again.

"We better go back. It's seems they are missing us" she said with a smile placing both her hands flat on my chest but she didn't push me away. I looked at her and she looked like she had been thoroughly kissed. I could imagine how I looked but I didn't care. I took a step back and watched as she ran her hands down the front of her dress to release any wrinkles. I grabbed her hand smiling at her and we headed in the direction we heard Evie's voice. I leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"Evie is going to know what we have been up to" I said. She reached her hand up to her mouth, knowing what I was talking about. She looked up at me and gave me a smile before lifting one shoulder in a little shrug.

"I'll just have to avoid everyone else for a little while" she said, still smirking at me.

When we stepped out from the trees we saw Evie. Her back was to us and she had her hands on her hips, her head moving back and forth looking for Mal.

"E" Mal called out to her and Evie spun around and walked up to us.

"Hey! I have been looking for you everywhere" she said a little exasperated.

"Well here I am" Mal said. I watched as Evie's eyes moved back and forth between me and Mal.

"No need to ask where you have been I suppose" Evie teased a bit with a grin on her face. Mal ignored her comment.

"Why were you looking for me?" Mal asked her.

"Fireworks are going to start soon and we got a prime spot" she smiled at us. "Come on." She linked her arm with Mal's and pulled her along which in turn pulled me along because Mal didn't let go of my hand but that was fine with me.

"How is Jay feeling?" Mal asked Evie. Mal had mentioned that Jay was feeling a little bitter about Freedom Day.

"He's fine now. I kinda talked him into being grateful, reminding him that a bunch of us wouldn't be here without this day. That and the guys invited him to play in their annual Freedom day tourney match which seems to have changed his mood" Evie said rolling her eyes. "They just got back a little while ago."

"Ah yes the annual tourney match" I said with a chuckle.

"Why didn't you want to play?" Mal asked me.

"It's not that I didn't want to. I couldn't play. I had to ride in the parade remember." I said. "There are things I have to give up now that I am king."

We walked down to the beach. Mal stopped to pull off her shoes as we walked into the sand. There was a blanket set up on the other side of some large boulders facing the ocean. Jay, Carlos, Chad, Doug, Lonnie and Jane were all there. I sat down on the blanket and pulled Mal down to sit between my legs. I wrapped my arms around her and felt her slowly relax into me as the first firework exploded in the air. I brought my mouth to her ear to whisper in it.

"Freedom Day gave you to me and I will forever be grateful" I said. She turned her head tipping it back to look at me and smiled.

"Happy Freedom Day Ben."

"Happy Freedom Day Mal."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Like Ben's birthday the next chapter won't actually be a holiday but it is a day that is significant to Bal.**

**Reviews are love!**


	11. Anniversary

**Author's Note: So here is the final chapter! (For the first year. I may continue.) Not really a holiday obviously but significant to Ben and Mal. This is more like an in between part of the end of D2. You will also notice I skimmed over the movie lines. (There was a lot of talking and I wanted it to be more like Mal was so in her head that she just didn't hear it.) Happy reading!**

**P.S. I went through and re-edited most of this story and changed the timeline in the intro so if you gt lots of notifications that's why. Sorry. **

* * *

**First Anniversary**

**(Cotillion Day)**

_Mal's POV_

We just returned from the Isle. Ben was walking beside me but I was lost in my thoughts. I heard Lonnie say something to Jay but I wasn't paying attention. I didn't know how to feel at the moment. All I could think about was Ben telling me he loved me last night in my hide out. Ben leaned over to me.

"Do you want to cancel?" he asked me. I just stared into his eyes. His hand was on my back and I couldn't speak. I realized Jane was there when he turned back to her. I wasn't sure what he was saying to her but he turned back to me.

"Do whatever you need to do" he said to me. We stared at each other for a moment. He was leaving the choice to walk away or stay up to me. He walked away and Evie pulled me away.

"We need to talk" she said seriously. Carlos stopped us. He didn't want to be left out anymore. So we all sat. There was an awkward moment. I was already on the verge of tears.

"Um, well...I'm a mess. I'm such a mess." The tears and words just began to fall out of my mouth. I listened to my friends. They were right I needed to be myself. I couldn't fake it anymore. Not without my spell book anyhow.

"Mal, if Ben doesn't love the real you, then he's not the one" Carlos said. They all agreed that I should give him a chance.

I walked around the grounds and found myself in front of Adam's magical statue that was in front of the school. This was where Ben and I shared our very first kiss after his coronation party when he was walking me back to my dorm. I walked around and sat on one of the benches that sat in front of the school. I knew Evie was working in our dorm and I needed time to think.

I thought about what Carlos said about if Ben doesn't love the real me then he isn't the one. I think at this moment that was my issue. Over the last six months I have lost myself and I didn't know where that left Ben and I. How could I be with him if he loved the girl I turned into and not the girl I am. I will never be good enough to be that girl. Then I thought back to a year ago and realized he was falling in love with me before all of this. Before I even decided I wanted to be good. Maybe he does love the real me.

Hope blossomed in my chest. I could do this I thought as I stood up. I walked in the front of the school, heading to my dorm. I was going to go to cotillion and I hoped I would get a chance to really talk to Ben. It's time I told him how I felt about him.

I walked into the room and saw Evie working on my dress. "I love Ben!" I said bluntly.

"Um ok. I already knew that" Evie said looking at me with a confused look on her face. I just giggled.

"I love Ben" I said again. This time Evie giggled.

"Ok I get it. You love Ben" she said smiling at me.

"It feels so good to say it" I said to her. Her eyes got big and her mouth dropped open in surprise.

"You haven't told him you love him?" she asked. I shook my head.

"I just always felt like I wasn't what he needed and I don't even know. I have been in love with him since the beginning and it would hurt just the same if things didn't work out if I let him know how I felt or not right" I knew I was beginning to ramble as I paced the room. "Just saying out loud that I love him is a relief and.." Evie grabbed my hands to stop me.

"Mal" she said "Does this mean you are going through with cotillion?" she asked me slowly.

"Yes. I have to let him know how I feel" I said.

"Well then we have a lot of work to do" she said with a bright smile.

* * *

Evie did my hair and make-up in our dorm before we moved to the compartment that was assigned to me on the boat to get dressed. Evie left after she helped me into my dress and went to meet up with our friends. There was actually going to be a blue carpet that everyone would be walking which would be televised.

Before I knew it everything was starting and it was time to make my entrance. As soon the trumpets blew and Lumiere announced me, my nerves kicked into overdrive. I stepped out and paused at the top of the stairs. Lumiere leaned over to me. "You work it girl" he said to me and I let out a nervous laugh. I was sure he was trying to calm me. I made my way down and Adam stepped up to take my hand. I had a moment with Adam and Belle before Evie stepped up to me.

"How are you?" she asked me.

"Uh, I sorta feel like I'm gonna throw up" I said.

"Look, we're right here with you ok" Evie told me.

The trumpets sounded for Ben. It was time. I let out a little squeal of excitement and turned to look at the top of the stairs. And there he was. He looked amazing, and my heart began to beat wildly. I loved him with all I had. I smiled at him and stepped forward as he walked down toward me with a blank face. We both bowed and when he looked at me I knew something wasn't right.

"Mal, I wish I had time to explain" he began before turning away and looking up the stairs. There was Uma. Ben went to her and took her hand, leading her back to where I stood. That's when my world shattered. Every word they spoke was like a knife to my heart. I guess he didn't love me after all.

"...That's why you never told me that you loved me" he was saying. I wanted to scream that he was wrong, I did love him but I was frozen in shock. I felt hands pull me back as Ben began to dance with Uma. All this time I had been waiting for the other shoe to drop and that was it. I felt Jay grab me.

"Let's get out of here" Jay said leading me to the stairs.

Ben's parents stopped me as Jane ran by.

"I'm gonna talk to him" Adam said to me. I wasn't sure what he could say or do but I was broken. I turned and continued up the stairs when Lumiere began to make an announcement and we had to stop.

"And now for the unveiling of King Ben's masterpiece, designed especially for his lady" Lumiere said motioning towards me. We turned as the trumpets sounded and a stained glass window was unveiled at the top of the opposite stairs. It was me. Really me. Is that how Ben saw me? The true me.

"Ben did that?" I uttered.

"Yeah, he did" Evie said.

"Evie" isaid as we began to walk back down the stairs. "Ben's known who I was all along" I said.

"He loves the real you M" Evie said.

"A true love" I said staring at the window.

"Told you" I heard Carlos say. And I let out a little giggle. Maybe there was hope.

Uma got angry and Ben seemed in a daze for a moment until she spoke to him again. He then announced that Uma would be his lady and that's when Adam stepped in.

"Son" Adam began.

"NOT NOW DAD!" Ben yelled. I was shocked along with everyone else. Something was going on. Ben would never speak to his father like that. He then announced that as a gift to her he was going to bring down the barrier. Fairy Godmother refused and he snapped at her also. That's when it hit me.

"Ben's been spelled" I said.

"Uma found your spell book" Evie stated, catching on too. It was obvious now watching Uma try to keep Ben's attention so the spell wouldn't falter. I looked up at the stained glass window again and knew just what to do.

"Ben" I called to him and he looked at me. I walked up to him. "Ben, look at me"

"No look at me" Uma countered "You love me remember"

"No you don't" I said to him. "Ben look at me" I stared into his eyes as Uma began to get desperate demanding Fairy Godmother to take down the barrier.

"Ben" she said again trying to pull his attention back but now was the time for me to say what I had to say. I knew he loved me.

"Ben, I never told you that I loved you because I thought that I wasn't good enough, and I thought that it was only a matter of time before you realized that yourself, but Ben, that's me" I said motioning to the stained glass window. "I'm part Isle and part Auradon."

Uma tried once more to get his attention but I kept talking.

"And Ben you've always know who we were and who we can be" I said.

"Don't listen to her" Uma said but I just kept saying his name to keep attention as I said what I need to say.

"Ben, I know what love feels like now" I felt myself getting emotional. It was time I said what I have been feeling.

"Ben, of course I love you." This was it. "Ben I've always loved you" I said as I pushed my lips to his. It felt a little strange that he wasn't kissing me back. I heard all the awws and pulled back after a moment. He slowly smiled at me.

"Mal" he muttered, I knew true loves kiss had worked and the spell was broken as his hands came up to my waist and I leaned my forehead against his in happy relief. He was my true love.

Uma was outraged, springing for Fairy Godmother and her wand. Before the guards could seize her she went to jump overboard and I tried to reason with her. I knew she had to have some power with her mother's shell necklace now that she wasn't on the Isle. She jump anyhow and I was right. She was able to transform into into a giant cecaelia, pushing a wave of water toward us, causing the boat to thrash and water crashed over the deck. She lashed out at the boat with her giant tentacles.

I stepped away from everyone as I felt a slow burn creep through my body. I had felt this before but only for a second and only in my eyes. I knew my eyes were glowing and I couldn't stop whatever was happening to me. All I knew was that I needed to protect everyone.

"Mal" I heard Ben say in an worried voice. I couldn't stop what was happening. I looked down and saw the purple fog swirl around me, and just like my mother, I transformed into a dragon. This felt easy and I knew how to do what I had to do. I wouldn't let Uma hurt my friends and family.

We went back and forth before Ben jumped in. He tried to reason with Uma. She didn't give in but she did give up...for now. She looked slightly defeated as she swam away.

Ben climbed back on board, while I circled looking for the best place to transform back into me. I don't know how I knew it, but I knew all I had to do was to envision myself as me again and I would be able to turn back. I found that the best spot was in front of the stained glass window. I looked at the window before I landed and as I felt the fog recede around me, I saw I was now wearing a dress that looked like the one I wore in the window. I did have to put out some smoldering spots.

I looked down and saw Ben smiling at me. I felt so happy in that moment and waved to him. I dipped into a dramatic curtsy and he bowed formally in return which made me giggle. The footmen led me down the steps and Evie stepped up to me.

"Whooo. So...I did not know I could do that" I said.

"Tell me about it. That makes two of us" Evie said and I giggled again, my eyes going back to Ben before Evie put out another hot spot on my dress and I thanked her. She held her hand out to me.

"Shall we" she said.

"We shall" I said taking her hand. I felt giddiness bubble up inside me as she led me towards Ben. The look he was giving me sent a shiver through me and I had to look away for a moment but when I dropped my eyes down I suddenly felt Ben pull me to him. Pressing his lips to mine lovingly. The kiss didn't last as long as I wanted it to because Carlos call Ben off.

I stared at Ben as Evie was talking to Ben about possibly bringing over more kids from the Isle. A footman then stepped in. They had found my spell book with Uma's things. I decided it was time for me to let it go and so I gave it to Fairy Godmother to put in the museum.

"I'm not going to be needing it anymore" I said looking into Ben's eyes. He smiled brightly at me and I playfully kicked water at him and he did the same to me. He reached for me I reached up and tilted his crown like I did at his coronation. We sang and danced and played in the water with our friends.

Ben led me to the top of the stairs where he put his ring back on my finger. I wanted to kiss him so bad and I no longer care who was there or who saw. I loved him and that was all that mattered. But as this was a royal function I resisted and instead just rubbed my nose against his. Hopefully we would find some time later.

We stood at the top of the stairs for a while before I was then formally introduced as Ben's Lady of the Court and everyone bowed and curtsied to us as we walked back down the stairs. We shared an official dance. We walked up the steps leading to the stained glass window and stepped behind it, away from everyone. I looked at the window and smiled.

"Thank you" I said to him. He turned and looked at the window for a moment before looking back at me.

"You're welcome, but it's not nearly as beautiful as you" he said grabbing my waist and pulling me closer. I reached both of my hands up to his face, bringing his lips to mine. I have been dying to be close to him since he kissed me earlier. Stupid Carlos. The kiss started slow but when I felt his hand press into the small of my back, pulling my body flush against his, I couldn't help but deepen the kiss. My fingers slid into his hair and my tongue slid into his mouth. I felt him hesitate and I pulled back to see what was wrong.

"Anyone could see us" he said giving me a little peck.

"I don't care" I said back and watched him smile before he kissed me with abandon. I felt like I needed something more but this wasn't the time or place. We would figure it all out in time. Right now I could just kiss him and be wrapped up in this feeling of love.

"Let's go have fun with our friends" I said to him after we broke apart.

"After you my lady" he said and I giggled. He led me back down the stairs. Evie appeared out of nowhere.

"Hey can I talk to you?" she asked linking her are through mine.

"Sure" I said. I shot Ben a look as Evie pulled me away. We walked over to the corner of the deck by the railing where it was quiet. I looked out over the deck where everyone else was enjoying the party.

"So..." Evie said trying to lead me into talking.

"So?" I said back not knowing exactly what she wanted me to say.

"Did you and Ben talk?" she asked looking at me intently. I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face.

"Not quite" I said. She raised her eyebrows and grinned. "I just can't help myself" I said.

"Well if Doug looked at me the way Ben was looking at you when you walked down those stairs, I probably wouldn't be able to help myself either" Evie said. I looked at her in surprise.

"So you and Doug..." I began.

"Are officially a couple" she stated smiling brightly at me. I pulled her into a a hug.

"I'm happy for you E" I said smiling at her as I pulled away. "It's about time" I said and we both laughed. "Now we can double date. That is if Ben and I have any time. The royal responsibilities are never ending" I said, sighing.

"You really need to talk to him M" Evie said to me.

"I know. I just feel like I can't keep my hands off him when we are alone. I need to get a grip on my self control" I said with a little laugh as I looked out at everyone and spotted Ben dancing with Lonnie. "It seems like that feeling has amplified since I admitted my feelings, like I can't get enough." I confided in her. I turned to look at her and she was smirking.

"Do you think you are like ready ready?" she asked in a low voice. I thought about it and I wasn't sure. The idea made me really nervous.

"I don't. How will I know?" I asked her and she shook her head.

"I honestly don't know. I haven't gotten that far. Maybe this is something you might want to talk to Belle about" Evie said. I let out a sarcastic laugh.

"And say what exactly? Hey Belle, I'm not sure if I'm ready to have sex with your son...how will I know?" I said mockingly. Evie laughed.

"Yeah I guess that would be awkward" she said. "Well maybe just talk to Ben. You said how easy it was to talk to him the last time you talk to him about intimacy" Evie suggested. "Or Ben's a guy so when things heat up just take it as far as you want to. Only you will know how far that is, and if Ben stops you that is a perfect time to talk about it." She nodded at her own advice.

"You're right. I mean everything so far has come naturally to us. If it feels right we should just go with our instincts right." I said thinking about it. We watched our friends having fun, dancing in the water. I bumped my shoulder into Evie's.

"Thank's for always being there and giving me advice. I don't know what I'd do without you" I said to her.

"That's what best friends are for. Now let's go dance with our guys" she said with a smile. We went and enjoyed the rest of cotillion.

* * *

I was glad the night was warm because we stayed soaked. By the end of the night my dress felt heavy and my fingers were wrinkly. Ben and I walked hand in hand back toward the school. The walk wasn't that long but it would give us time to talk.

"Mal, why did you feel like you weren't good enough?" Ben asked me, starting the conversation I knew we needed to have.

"It's just, I'm not exactly the girl everyone thinks you are supposed to be with. You were brought up to be with princesses and I just don't fit in that box. I really tried. All the expectations and responsibilities. I was losing myself and you just went along with it so I thought that that is what you wanted too. I tried to be what I thought you and everyone else wanted" I said. "To top it off I felt like I was embarrassing you all the time. I never had time to read that book your mom gave me. Plus I was missing us being us." We had made it back to the school and stopped in front of Adam's statue. Ben turned to face me.

"Mal I really don't care what everyone thinks. I fell in love with you long before the blond hair and flowy dresses. I fell in love with the purple haired girl who set me straight right when I met her. The girl who jumped in a lake to save me even though she couldn't swim. The girl who chose to be good even though she had the power to destroy everything. The girl who chose me."

I could feel myself getting emotional as I looked at him.

"I had a princess but I still chose you. I only want you." he paused for a moment staring into my eyes. "I love you." he finished and leaned in to claim my lips in a slow loving kiss. His hands gripping my waist. He pulled away before it got heated. "Tell me again. I want to hear you say it now that my head isn't foggy from Uma's spell."

I smiled and looked into his eyes. "I love you." The words rang true and Ben smiled brightly. I giggled. Saying it to him made me feel so good and the giddy feeling returned. I pulled away from him taking a few steps back and turning away. I cupped my hands around my mouth and yelled to the world.

"I'M IN LOVE WITH THE KING OF AURADON" I heard Ben laugh as I turned back to him. He picked me up off my feet and spun me around and we both laughed. I loved this carefree feeling. He put me down and took my hand and we continued in the direction of my dorm.

"So what did you and Evie talk about?" he asked me.

"You know just girl stuff" I said smiling at him. "Her and Doug have finally made it official."

"Yeah Doug told me. It's about time" he chuckled.

"I said the same thing" I told him as we stopped outside my dorm. "Want to come in?" I asked. He smiled and looked down to the floor for a moment like he was thinking about it.

"Um I really want to but I don't think it would be the best idea" he said. His voice was husky and was making me feel a little needy and I didn't know why. "Evie will probably be back soon" he said in explanation. He was right. I was glad one of us has a clear head. I looked to the floor and nodded.

I suddenly felt Ben's hands on my waist and quickly looked up at him as he pulled me to him. "Carlos isn't here this time" he whispered, before pressing his lips to mine. I gripped his wet shirt as his lips moved against mine. His tongue grazed my bottom lip and I opened my mouth to him. I would never get enough of kissing him. He slid his lips across my cheek towards my left ear, placing a kiss just behind it, making me shiver.

"Are you cold?" he asked, his breath warm on my neck.

"No" I breathed, letting my head drop back. Ben trailed his nose down the front of my throat, placing random kisses along the column of my neck to my collarbone, his lips sliding to where my neck and shoulder meet. He knew this was a sweet spot. I felt his warm tongue swipe across my skin and shivered again. I heard him chuckle against my neck. I reached up cupping his face to bring his lips back to mine. We kissed slowly this time, knowing we had to slow things down. We smiled at each other when we finally pulled our lips apart.

"Hey guys" we heard. We turned our heads to see Evie making her way down the hall. I went to step back but Ben held me tight keeping my body pressed to him. I looked up at him and he just shook his head slightly with a sheepish look on his face and I immediately understood. So instead I just turned my body, pushing him behind me so we weren't in such an intimate embrace but my body and dress still hid his excitement.

"Hey" I said back to her, taking in her appearance. Her lipstick was gone but her lips remained red and were fuller and her cheeks were a bit flushed. "How was the rest of your night?" I asked her teasingly, giving her a wink.

"Amazing" she giggled. "I'll let you two say goodnight" she said opening our dorm room door and heading in. As soon as the door closed behind her I turned back to Ben.

"You good?" I asked grinning at him.

"Yeah. I just need a moment" he said with a smile. "Before I forget, I have something for you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, dark blue drawstring pouch. He opened it then lifted my hand to dump it's contents in it. A small charm fell into my palm.

"Happy Anniversary" he said smiling at me. I looked at the charm. It was the beast crest that Ben always wore. With everything that has happened over the last few days I had completely forgotten that today was our anniversary. I felt guilt wash over me and tears filled my eyes.

"I can't believe I forgot" I said as I placed the charm back in the pouch. "I didn't get you anything." I said as a tear slipped down my cheek.

"Hey" he said lifting my face to look at him. "You gave me everything I wanted tonight. You don't know how long I have waited for you to tell me you love me" he said kissing me softly. "You made my birthday wish come true" he said. I smiled up at him. We shared a few more loving kisses before It was time for Ben to go.

"I love you" I said to him.

"I love you too" he said giving my hand a squeeze before stepping away.

"Happy anniversary Mal."

"Happy anniversary Ben."

* * *

**I hope you liked it. I have started a new story that picks up pretty much right after this one and I just might take it up until D3 so I may stick future holidays in that you and let it be a super long story. I haven't decided yet. Keep you eye out for the new story though!**

**Reviews are love!**


	12. Chapter 12

Hello readers! I just wanted to let you know that I have decided that this story will end here. All of the next years of holidays will be in other stories. The story that chronologically falls after this one is Life & Love. If things go like I have planned that story will contain the next year of holidays. With how I have timed things out in my head the 3rd year of holidays takes place after D3. I do plan on writing stories that go beyond D3 but Im just steady working on my current story. Thanks again for reading and all the comments! Check out my other stories if you like.


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